When the Heart Calls
by Libbeth
Summary: A story of duty, love, and defying the impossible. Kaede Tatsuya enters Suna as a new academy instructor, but what happens when a malevolent threat looms over the five nations and she is called away to fight for the Mizukage and a certain Kazekage is reluctant to let her leave? Gaara/OC GaaOC GaaraxOC GaaraOC
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime series Naruto, its characters, or any plot or storylines within the Naruto-verse. Kaede (OC) and any non-canon characters within this fiction are owned by me.

Plot: A story of duty, love, and defying the impossible. Kaede Tatsuya enters Suna as a new academy instructor, but what happens when a malevolent threat looms over the five nations and she is called away to fight for the Mizukage and a certain Kazekage is reluctant to let her leave? Gaara/OC GaaOC GaaraxOC GaaraOC

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**Chapter 1**

**Kaede Tatsuya**

The arid breeze stung Kaede's face as she stood at the main entry way into Suna. It was a completely different landscape compared to her beloved hidden mist country, Kirigakure. Looking up, cerulean eyes spotted several ledges where Suna chuunin and Jonin stood guard over the mighty walls. The entryway resembled a deep trench somewhat; it would be very difficult for enemy shinobi to charge through at full force due to such a small width. Suna was well known for being well defended, and for being protected by not only a powerful Kage, but for its solid alliance with the hidden leaf village, Konoha.

Kaede swept her dark bangs from her eyes and tucked them behind her ear. She glanced to her left where two tall figures were exchanging papers and words with each other. There was one figure Kaede knew very well, he was her father. The two were an inseparable pair since they were all each other had. Kaede's mother had passed away at birth, leaving Kaede in the not-so capable hands of Roku, her father. He was a renown Jonin of the hidden mist village, but had just past his prime when it came to field work and missions.

Her father worked closely with the Mizukage, Mei. Being one of her trusted advisors, he would often sit on council meetings, and his strategic and insightful approach to missions and intelligence made him a valuable member of the Mizukage's team of assistants. The two of them lived very comfortable in Kirigakure, and Roku was proud when his daughter graduated from the academy, and then passed her chuunin exams not long afterwards. She was no genius prodigy, but she had a good head on her shoulders, and preferred the calm, domestic lifestyle rather than racing out on missions.

Once the Fourth Shinobi War hit the mist village just over five years ago, Roku immediately answered the Mizukage's call to fight as one Allied Shinobi Force. He was assigned to the second division, as he specialized in mostly close combat with some water jutsus to keep enemies bound. Kaede was relieved when her father had returned home safe and sound. She was forbidden by her father to go to war despite being at a chuunin level. Instead, Kaede was instructed by other Jonin and the Mizukage to stay and defend the village along with other younger chuunin and genin. This was when Kaede discovered that she was fond of talking to children and communicating with them. Once the war was over, she promptly submitted an application to become an instructor for the hidden mist's ninja academy.

She had been an instructor for four years and was the tender age of twenty. Along with the Great Shinobi Alliance came another Kage summit to discuss the diplomacy and trade between the villages. There were some who still held grudges against one another, but the Kage wouldn't let this get in the way of advancing their villages for the future generations. With that, there was a movement put forward by the Kazekage, Gaara of the desert, to create one solid curriculum that all young shinobi were taught. This was so that there was equality in knowledge and ability amongst the five Great Nations. This curriculum was designed and implemented by the five kage, which took them almost a whole month due to disagreements within the preliminary designs. The basic structure of the curriculum was modelled after the Hidden leaf's example the Hokage had brought forward.

Now, what did that mean for Kaede as an instructor? To ensure equal distribution and teaching of the curriculum, the Kages decided that they would exchange some instructors. Mei had selected Kaede to go to Suna to train the young Genin. In the meantime, the Kages also decreed that they would have ambassadors in each nation. Since Kaede was going as an instructor, it made sense to Mei to send her father, Roku, to become her ambassador. This was to be considered an honor, because the Mizukage was entrusting him to act on her behalf as well as Kirigakure's. She was proud that she and her father were selected for this program, because to Kaede it meant a new start in a new village. Sure, she will miss her village and the friends she had made there, but the chance to experience a new world and a new country was something she couldn't pass up.

Kaede's thoughts were snapped short as she noticed her father walking over to her, a content smile on was on his face as he picked up his large satchel and hauled it over his shoulder. He was exchanging orders and papers that indicated their identity and their reason for moving into the village.

"All set, baby girl." He said to his daughter. "Our apartment isn't too far from the academy, we'll put our stuff in there and then we need to see the Kazekage."

"Right," with that, Kaede picked up her own satchel and threw it over her shoulder and followed her father towards their new apartment.

She looked around and noticed that a lot of people were wearing simple robes with scarves or bandannas to keep the wind from out of their faces. Kaede supposed she probably looked strange to them; because she donned a simple pair of navy shorts with mesh long-legged stockings and a black tank top with a light, white over shirt. The over shirt had a wide neckline, so it would often hang off one of her shoulders, exposing her black tank top and bra strap underneath.

She was receiving some strange looks, probably because they were newcomers and the fact she had a Hidden Mist shinobi headband tied around her neck would have made her stick out like a sore thumb. Kaede normally wore her headband over her head to keep her silky black hair out of her face, but she had to use it to stop sand from getting into her nostrils and mouth as she breathed.

Kaede and her dad arrived at their apartment. Roku had received a key from the Jonin at the main gate. Suna was expecting their arrival, so the apartment and keys were ready for them as soon as they got into the Suna gates. As Roku opened the door, Kaede stepped inside and looked around quickly.

It was rather plain, but this was due to the fact that it wasn't lived in yet. Kaede was already thinking of ways to make it into a home for her and her father. It had two bedrooms with a simple bathroom and an open kitchen and dining area. The living area, where a simple green couch and coffee table sat, was the first thing people would see when entering the apartment.

"We'll check out our new home later, the Kazekage is expecting us." Roku dropped his satchel on the floor, quickly followed by Kaede, and they headed towards the Kazekage's building.

* * *

"I guess we should start by saying 'welcome to Suna'," a sandy blonde haired woman spoke as she stood next to the Kazekage's desk. She donned a simple black yukata with a red obi around her waist. This woman was in the main entryway in the Kage tower to greet them. She said that her name was Temari and she was the first assistant to the Kazekage, who so happened to be her younger brother. Kaede had heard stories about the sand siblings, and from other Fourth War veterans, they had different opinions of the young trio. Some claimed Temari to be a bit of a bitch, while people say that it was her courage and determination that kept the fourth division going. So far, Kaede didn't mind Temari.

"Thank you, I look forward to working with you Lord Kazekage, Lady Temari." Roku bowed in respect to his new chiefs.

"I hope your stay here will be comfortable, if you need anything, let Temari know." Kaede's head snapped towards the Kazekage, whom Temari introduced to them as Gaara, he hadn't spoken the whole time during their small orientation meeting with the sand siblings. The third and middle sibling, Kankuro, stood off to the side leaned against the wall. He appeared to have a reserved nature, perhaps he was just there out of courtesy.

"If you'll come with Kankuro and I, we'll show you around the Kage tower and give you a briefing on your responsibilities here." Temari walked towards Kaede and her father and motioned for her brother to follow. Gaara remained at his desk. Kaede turned to walk out with them, but Roku placed a hand on her shoulder and motioned his head towards the Kazekage. She was confused at first, but quickly remembered that she was to become a new instructor, so of course the Kazekage would want to have a quick word with her. Nervously, she waved at her father.

"I'll see you at home, dad." She said quietly to him. With that, Roku left with Kankuro and Temari, leaving Kaede alone with the Kazekage.

"Miss Kaede," Gaara's voice made Kaede jump slightly, and she promptly turned to face him. She bowed at a slight angle, acknowledging that her superior was talking to her.

Gaara continued, "I'd like to thank you for volunteering to come here to teach as an instructor. It must have been difficult to leave your home so suddenly,"

Kaede smiled, "It'll take some getting used to living here. The land of water is normally humid and wet."

Nodding slightly, Gaara reached down and opened a drawer in his desk. He pulled out a file and placed it on his desk, pushing it towards Kaede. "Here are your students. Most have tested quite well in their aptitude exams; I trust you're well versed in the new curriculum?"

"Yes sir, I have a copy at home for me to revise and my first few weeks of lessons are planned," Kaede responded and she walked forward and picked up the file. She flicked through it slowly as Gaara watched her, his elbows on the desk and his hands together resting under his chin. He noticed that she was taking her time looking through the files, as if she was studying each student carefully. This simple act showed him that she cared about her job, a quality he admired in people. When someone has a passion for something, they are able to perform outstandingly. He wanted to be assured that the future Suna shinobi were in trusted, capable hands.

"One of your students is my nephew, Shikaru Nara. I'd like it if you kept me updated on his progress,"

If there was one person Gaara doted on in this world and showed an extreme care and deep love for, it was his nephew. Gaara wasn't overly thrilled when he learned his older sister was getting married young. However, the suitor she had chosen was someone Gaara had come to call friend along with the rest of the "rookie 9" as the past Hokage had called them. Shikamaru showed great leadership skills and he had a wealth of knowledge for a chuunin of his age and experience. He was considered a genius by many in the Shinobi world. After much inner turmoil and convincing by Kankuro, Gaara eventually gave them his blessing and they were wed not even six months after the war.

His sister and Shikamaru hadn't even been married a year when Temari announced at a family dinner (that included Nara's parents) that she was pregnant. Gaara had never seen his sister in such an emotional rollercoaster. It was nine months of hell for everyone. The Hokage had chosen Shikamaru to be Konoha's ambassador in Suna, so that he could live with Temari and stay by her side during the pregnancy. Currently, Shikamaru was in the leaf village collecting reports and he was due home in two days so that he could see his son enter the academy.

Shikaru was one of the most beautiful things to ever happen to Gaara. He had never held an infant before until his nephew was born. He remembered holding the tiny bundle like a delicate piece of glass. It took a lot of convincing from his sister and Kankuro to finally build up the courage to hold him. It made Gaara realize how precious life was, and how much joy can be brought from it. He made a silent vow that day that he would watch over his nephew and give him every possible comfort he could. Shikaru spent his toddler years in a play pen in the Kazekage office. Since Gaara never left the office, he was the perfect babysitter. Temari was happy to entrust her precious son to him, and often Kankuro would take Shikaru out for some sweets as well. "Uncle time" was shared pretty evenly.

Kaede turned a few pages and found Shikaru's profile. The photo showed the boy had dark brown hair with green eyes. He had tested above average in the intelligence aptitude, and average in cognitive and physical sections. Despite being the Kazekage's nephew, he would not receive special treatment from Kaede. She believed all children should be equally admired and praised for their work. Children enter Suna's academy when they reach five years old, but Kaede noticed that there were some six year olds as well. Being close in age, there wouldn't be any difference in learning capabilities.

"I see," Kaede spoke after a brief silence.

"Before I forget," Gaara reached into the same drawer and pulled out a small envelope and handed it to Kaede. "It's an invitation to a small banquet to welcome the ambassadors. You could attend as your father's guest."

Kaede took the paper gingerly, "Thank you." She smiled.

"Do you have any questions, Miss Kaede?" Gaara asked her as he picked up a pen to start on more paperwork on his desk.

"Yes, one,"

Gaara raised an eyebrow.

Kaede smiled nervously, "Where's the nearest sweet shop?"

Gaara blinked. So this girl had a sweet tooth just like Temari. Gaara remembered very well how he would have to trudge to the sweet shop in all kinds of weather when his sister was pregnant. The first time she asked him to get her some candied apple, he refused, and then he regretted it after her reaction.

"Once you leave this building, turn left and head down that street for about two blocks. You can't miss it."

Beaming him a smile, she bowed low to him and quickly scurried out the door with her student's file and the invitation. Gaara stared at the door in bewilderment for a moment before brushing it off and focused his attention back to his paper. Though, his mind was still trying to comprehend her bizarre nature.

* * *

"So, how did it go?"

Roku peered over his daughter's shoulder as she wrote on a notepad. She had her student's files spread out across the small round dining table and she had pinned the envelope to the fridge with a magnet. Kaede was quite short for her age, so it made it easy for her father to see what she was doing. She was writing action plans on how to deliver her lessons to the students based on their learning ability.

"Good, we have to go to a banquet thing next week." She said as she gestured over to the fridge.

"You know," Roku started as he slumped on a chair next to Kaede, "Maybe you'll find a husband while you're here,"

Kaede's head shot up as she glared daggers at her father. Her thin brows narrowed as her crystal blue eyes pierced into her father's brown ones. He was always a light-hearted jokester between the two of them. On the other hand, Kaede had her mother's fierce nature, and she didn't treat everything like a game.

"Really dad, I don't have time for that." Kaede was far too busy with planning her lessons. She wanted to be the best instructor she could. After all, these were future shinobi she was dealing with here. How they perform in the real world and out on missions would all reflect on her instruction. She had been trusted by the Kazekage and parents to guide them to achieve the best they possible could. There was no time for finding husbands, or her father's jokes.

"Oh shut up, I'm just joking."

With that, Roku stood up and lightly punched his daughter on her shoulder, trying to get her to loosen up. He was proud of how far his daughter had come over the last few years. He knew that her mother would be proud too. Every day, he saw his beloved wife more and more in his blossoming daughter. She was a splitting image of her, except she had inherited his thick, unruly black hair.

"Just don't stay up all night, alright?" He tousled Kaede's hair and left her to her note-taking and planning.

* * *

My second Gaara/OC story. Identity is currently on hiatus until I decide what direction I'm going with it.

Please read and review! The more reviews I get, the faster I will update! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime series Naruto, its characters, or any plot or storylines within the Naruto-verse. Kaede (OC) and any non-canon characters within this fiction are owned by me.

Plot: A story of duty, love, and defying the impossible. Kaede Tatsuya enters Suna as a new academy instructor, but what happens when a threat looms over the five nations and she is called away to fight for the Mizukage and a certain Kazekage is reluctant to let her leave? Gaara/OC GaaOC GaaraxOC GaaraOC

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**Chapter 2**

**Awkward Formalities**

"Congratulations children," donning his official Kazekage wear, Gaara stood in front of a small crowd consisting of about twenty five grinning children while their parents stood behind the pack beaming with pride.

"Study well, and train hard. You are the future of the Shinobi world, and the future protectors of our village. I am proud of each and every one of you."

This was a part of the kage job Gaara enjoyed. The entrance ceremony meant that he was able to introduce and support the new shinobi in training, and while there were children entering the academy, the future of the village would remain solid and clear. At the beginning of the ceremony, he called each student up and presented them with admittance papers, which was pretty much a copy of their ninja profile along with a study booklet.

Meanwhile, Kaede Tatsuya was in classroom 3 writing on the chalk board and preparing for her first lesson with her new class. Nervous? Of course she was. Though it wasn't the first class she had taught and it certainly won't be her last, it was still exciting and nerve-racking to meet a whole group of young students ranging from five to seven years old. She would be with them for the next six years until they are ready to take the genin exam. She studied each student carefully, taking note of their learning ability and their aptitude. She didn't create a seating plan for them just yet. For now, she would allow them to sit wherever they liked.

Classes were only four hours long with a half an hour lunch break halfway through. A child's attention span can only go so far. When they reach their final years of the academy, when the more advanced techniques and weapons handling would be taught, classes would be as long as six hours. Kaede was confident in this new curriculum; it took into consideration all aspects of a child's ability and challenged their cognitive, physical, and mental disciplines. For the first week or so, Kaede wanted to focus mostly on getting to know the class and the students getting to know each other. Some may already have formed friendship groups due to growing up together, but some may not know anyone. Kaede wanted to ensure that there was equal treatment in her class.

Right on cue, ten o'clock, she could hear footsteps and loud chattering in the hallway. The high-pitched voices signified to Kaede that her class was on their way and their entrance ceremony had finished. Kaede would have loved to watch the ceremony, but she had to get ahead to her classroom and prepare for her first lesson with them. She was a bit of a perfectionist when it came to her job.

"Alright kids," The familiar voice of Kankuro rung in Kaede's ears as she placed the chalk on the table and dusted her hands off. She stood with her hands behind her back and watched as Kankuro appeared in the doorway.

"Come in and take a seat quickly, your sensei will take over from me."

One by one, curious little faces entered the classroom. Their gaze would first look around the classroom, taking in the pictures of the walls and the chalkboard, as well as the sensei's desk. Lastly, their gaze would fall on Kaede. The classroom was modelled after Konoha's rooms. The desks were joint and seated about three or four students per row with the desks at the back being higher than the front desks. This was so that each student could see board and the instructor easily. The academy itself was newly renovated, so it still had that fresh paint smell in the air.

Kaede watched as Kankuro ruffled a young boy's hair and muttered "Have fun, squirt" before giving Kaede a thumbs up and walking out the door. The young boy looked curiously at Kaede and then joined his classmates. Kaede figured that this young boy was Shikaru Nara. Kaede watched him as he took a seat in the third row. The children were quiet, but there was still some small whispering amongst themselves. Kaede gave then another minute or so to settle before speaking.

"Good morning, children." Kaede spoke clearly and slightly loud so that she got the class's attention. Being the first day, she knew that they were going to be quiet and obedient, because they didn't know what was coming nor did they know Kaede and what she was like as an instructor. The children's whispered turned silent and they settled into their seats, looking at the teacher.

"My name is Kaede Tatsuya," she was about to continue but she suddenly heard a "Good morning Kaede-sensei" ring through the classroom as the students spoke in unison. She wasn't expecting that.

"I will be your sensei for the next six years. Since it's your first day, I thought we could all get to know one another. In the shelf under your desks you'll find a book and some pencils to write notes with," she paused as she watched the children all look under their desks and felt around for the book and pencils she was talking about. She waited for them to pull the books out and flip them on their desks before continuing.

"I've written some questions on the board, I'd like you to spend ten minutes answering them and we'll share answers together. I'll answer them too!"

The questions were very simple: they were asking for things like the student's full name, how old they are, their birthday, and little facts about them such as their favorite food and color.

The day progressed rather quickly and before Kaede could blink, lunch time had rolled around. The children got half an hour for lunch, and she dismissed them. They filed out in an orderly manner as she instructed. She made sure to set a routine and lay down some solid rules in her classroom so that it ran smoothly with little disruptions. So far, none of the students had given her any problems. She was even happy to answer their questions regarding her origins and why she was in Suna and not in Kirigakure. They were definitely an inquisitive group of kids, and she could already see some strong potential shinobi in most of them.

Kaede sat on a wooden bench in some shade. She was a fair distance away from her class, it wasn't necessary for her to be supervising them during lunch because they were restricted to a particular area of the academy grounds. Kaede would have to round them up and send them inside when break was over, but that wasn't for another twenty minutes. She was quite happy watching the children play and eat their lunch while she munched on some raspberry gummies she had purchased from the sweet shop the day before.

"I see you found the sweet shop," Kaede visibly jumped in her seat and spun her head around. Her cerulean eyes rested on familiar turquoise ones as red hair danced about in the slight breeze. He was wearing his usual black pantsuit and maroon overcoat, and had his white Kazekage robe on as well, open and fluttering about. The Kazekage always seemed to appear so stoic and reserved, which often made him unapproachable to those who didn't know him, Kaede included. He was a little off-putting.

"Oh, Lord Kazekage," Kaede quickly stood up and dipped her head in respect. "Yes, thanks for the directions. I found it in no time."

Nodding in contentedness, Gaara approached the wooden bench and sat down while Kaede promptly sat down next to him. She kept a respectable distance from him, and she watched him look over to the children, a small smile on his face.

"I came to see how your first day is going, well I hope?"

He also came to check on Shikaru, but he thought to talk to the instructor first.

"Yes, it's going great. We're sort of relaxing today and getting to know one another this week. I'll start the curriculum first thing next Monday."

Gaara nodded in understanding. He guessed that she was the gentle, kind instructor that many children were going to adore. Gaara was quite the opposite. He remembered years ago when Matsuri asked him to be her sensei, he had to training all hours of the day and night until she perfected the rope javelin, and her ninjutsu. The harsh training and strict instruction finally paid off though, because Matsuri was now a highly regarded Jonin in the sand village. She led the intelligence division, and was constantly sending and receiving messages for Gaara and would often go on search and rescue missions. They dated once, about two years ago. However, Gaara ended it because he felt he just didn't have time for anyone else with his duties as Kazekage. Plus, he didn't care as deeply for her as he thought he did.

"And Shikaru?" Gaara asked Kaede.

Kaede grinned; she knew he would ask about his nephew eventually. "He's doing just fine. I promise I'll keep you updated on his progress."

"Thank you, I appreciate it." Gaara responded to the instructor.

There was one more reason he had to see Kaede that day as well.

"Have you ever proctored in chuunin exams?" Gaara asked her.

Kaede sent him a quizzical look. In her four years as an instructor, she had never actually been a proctor for any chuunin exams. Of course, they were held off for quite some time due to the Fourth War. However, most considered her too young to even be qualified for such a thing.

"No sir," Kaede replied casually "I'm pretty familiar with what goes on though."

"Good," Gaara stood up from the bench and Kaede followed suit. "The chuunin exams are a few weeks away. It's custom that the instructors of the hosting village are the proctors."

"They won't care that I'm a mist shinobi?" Kaede asked. Her mist headband glinted in the sun. It was tied over her head to keep her black hair out of her face, though a few short bangs still framed her face.

Gaara shook his head "Don't worry about that. They know about this exchange program, and differences between the villages have been long forgotten now."

The shriek of a falcon came from overhead as the two adults looked up to see the creature soar towards the kage tower. Gaara looked back to Kaede.

"I need to go now; I'll see you at the banquet tomorrow night."

Kaede quickly bowed low and Gaara dipped his head slightly in return. He then turned on his heel and headed towards the Kage tower, leaving Kaede alone to watch the children again.

* * *

Kaede straightened the sleeves of her kimono as she smoothed the fabric out on the bed. Once her lessons were over, she immediately went out and bought a brand new kimono from the travelling market. This market came once a month and they stayed in each village for about a week. Almost every month they would return from trading with the other villages and have new products to sell. These markets accepted either goods of equal value or money. Kaede decided to just trade money for this kimono. It was a deep royal blue color with white trim on the collar, sleeves, and hem. The bottom of the kimono was an embroidered white and black rose garden design. The kimono also came with a plain gold obi. It wasn't overly fancy, but it was dressy enough for the banquet. Kaede was airing it out on her bed to make sure that there were no tears or stains.

"Did you get that today?" Her dad walked into her bedroom. Kaede didn't even hear him come in the door. It was rather late at night, and neither of them had dinner yet. Kaede didn't like eating alone, so she was happy to hold off having dinner until her father came home.

"Yea, isn't it pretty?" Kaede then began folding it neatly to be put away.

"Sure is, your mother used to wear something like that."

The topic of Kaede's mother wasn't a touchy subject anymore. They both accepted the fact that she was not with them in person, but instead in their hearts. Roku would always remark on how much Kaede looked like her mother, and in turn Kaede would always ask for stories on how they met and when they got married. When they lived in the mist village, they would often visit her grave together. Roku didn't cry for his wife anymore, instead, he was happy with the fact that his beloved gave him a beautiful daughter before she passed away.

"How was your day?" It was Roku's third day in his new ambassador position; so far Kaede assumed that things were going well as she hadn't heard anything otherwise.

"Great, love." He started as he walked with Kaede into the kitchen after she had put her kimono away. He sat at the small round dining table and watched his daughter start to pull pots out to cook them some dinner. She wasn't an expert, but he had taught her how to put together a proper meal for the two of them.

"That Kankuro guy's pretty funny. We're taking care of arranging the chuunin exams."

"Oh yea," Kaede interrupted her dad "The Kazekage asked me to be a proctor."

Roku grinned, "Oh yea, came to see you personally did he?" Next thing he knew, a potato came flying at him, which he caught with ease. He was known for his reflexes in the mist village. Obviously Kaede knew what he was getting it, and with her dad, it seemed the only way she expresses her disapproval with him was with violence.

"Don't be stupid, start peeling." Kaede laughed.

While he was peeling, Roku continued the conversation, "It's a great being asked to be a proctor. The Kazekage trusts your judgment and ability with the Genin and their battles."

"I just think it's weird he asked me when he barely knows me and my ability, and we're mist shinobi." Kaede responded while stirring vegetables into the rice.

"That's a thing of the past baby girl, there's no discrimination against countries or shinobi. He probably wants everyone to see that we're one solid alliance now instead of the divided pack we were before."

Kaede couldn't help but chuckle, "Strange how quickly times have changed,"

"Yep," Roku took his bowl from his daughter, a large serving of rice, vegetables, and beef. "It's all thanks to the Kazekage you know, he went to the summit at only sixteen and he changed the way a lot of us oldies think; Especially the Raikage and Tsuchikage."

"Well, I guess we should just worship him as a superhero should we?" Kaede laughed as she took another bite of a strip of beef.

Roku laughed, "Him and the Hokage both. They've both completely reinvented the shinobi world."

* * *

Her feet hurt, her hair hurt, her ears hurt, and her chest hurt. Kaede fidgeted as she waited in line to be introduced with her father as one of the Kazekage's official guests. She thought they just needed to walk in and sit down, but instead they discovered that the ambassadors and their guests would receive their own entrance. Kaede lifted her hand and adjusted her earring. They were simple round black pearls but they were dreadfully heavy. She then pulled at her obi which her father had tied much too tight. It took two to be dressed in a formal kimono, and unfortunately, Kaede's father had to help her. It took a lot of tries since he had never even tied an obi before. To top it off, her indoor slippers were slightly too small, squashing her feet. Her ebony hair she was able to keep simple, half was pulled back into a small bun and decorated with gold flower clips, while the remainder of her hair flowed freely around her shoulders; making her neck look longer and her skin paler. She also wore natural make-up, with a touch of blue eye shadow.

"Stop it, you're making me nervous." Roku nudged his daughter a little as they waited behind the earth country ambassador. Their names would be called and they would stand at the entrance to the room as they were formally introduced to the guests, then they would be directed by an usher to their seats. Kaede had no idea where they were sitting or what the room looked like. She was flying blind just as much as her dad was.

A staff member tapped Kaede on the shoulder.

"You and your father are up next," she smiled warmly.

The doors opened, and Kaede and her father, wearing a formal hakama with black and burgundy striped patterning, stepped forward at the entrance to the room. There table setting was in two U shapes, an outer U and an inner U shape. The Kazekage would sit at the head of the inner U shape where the other official guests were already seated. The tables were kept traditional, with matte golden table runners with the wind country symbol embroidered on it every few feet, and there was a simple centerpiece of red flowers in low, round, black vases.

The Kazekage and his siblings hadn't entered yet, but the other guests (mostly secretaries, Jonin, and Kaede recognized some parents of her students), were standing around with wine glasses and sake cups. They turned their attention to Kaede and Roku as they were introduced.

"Of the Water country, Jonin ranking Roku Tatsuya and his daughter, Chuunin Kaede Tatsuya, both of the hidden Mist village,"

* * *

RnR Please guys! Thank you to my reviews so far!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime series Naruto, its characters, or any plot or storylines within the Naruto-verse. Kaede (OC) and any non-canon characters within this fiction are owned by me.

Plot: A story of duty, love, and defying the impossible. Kaede Tatsuya enters Suna as a new academy instructor, but what happens when a threat looms over the five nations and she is called away to fight for the Mizukage and a certain Kazekage is reluctant to let her leave? Gaara/OC GaaOC GaaraxOC GaaraOC

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**Chapter 3**

**Equal Parts**

It felt like forever had passed. Kaede sat next to her father at the dining table and she wanted to so badly fiddle with her chopsticks or even just go for a walk, but her father made her promise to be on her best behavior tonight (as long as he was on his as well). She remembered when they entered the dining hall in the Kage building; all the guests stood and bowed low to them in respect, as the ambassadors were the guests of honor. It was a little bit embarrassing, since Kaede had never had so much attention on her at once. However, she was proud that neither she nor her father faltered. She had taken her father's arm and they were lead to the left side of the table and they were seated surprisingly close to the head of the table- where the Kazekage would sit.

The other ambassadors were introduced and seated as well. Directly across from Roku and Kaede were the hidden stone village's ambassadors, but there was a spare seat between the end of the table and where Temari would be seated. Kaede guessed that her husband would be seated there, since he was the leaf village's ambassador too.

The rest of the ambassadors came across as prude and stuck up. Kaede glanced at her father and it was possible that he was the youngest of them all. They all had something to show their old age, whether it was a grey beard or a wrinkled face. They weren't tremendously old like a village elder, but they had certainly passed their prime. They all wore plain black hakamas with colors, patterns, and trims that represented their origin.

"Man, I'm hungry." Kaede looked over as her father spoke under his breath. She couldn't help but smile in response. He was always hungry.

As she was about to respond, Kaede noticed that everyone around her had suddenly stood up. Not to look like the odd ones out, Kaede and Roku quickly stood as well. The pair looked towards the main entrance into the hall and there stood the Kazekage with his brother and sister either side of him. Next to Temari, a tall man stood as well. his dark hair and narrow eyes reminded Kaede of Shikaru, which made her guess that the man was Temari's husband, Shikamaru Nara.

A formal introduction echoed through the hall, one that Kaede barely paid any attention to, because her mind was wandering to her class. She was always thinking about them, from how they'd react to a certain activity to planning lessons and thinking about the new friendship groups forming. That was Kaede in a nutshell, she was always thinking about work even when she didn't need to.

A nudge from her left knocked her train of thought and she looked up at her dad with a quizzical look. He knew when her mind was wandering, and he jerked his head towards the Kazekage. She looked back over and noticed that he was staring right at her. She gave him a small smile and couldn't help but let a small blush creep across her cheeks. He was dressed in his formal Kazekage attire with a sea green robe underneath a white overcoat. He also wore his formal kage hat.

The four hosts walked to their seating place. Gaara took his place at the head of the table and removed his hat to drape it over the corner of the back of his chair. Casually, he then raised his hand and motioned for the entire company to sit. Kaede gingerly sat back in her seat while Roku uncouthly slumped back in his. She rolled her eyes are her father behind his back. Kankuro appeared to have noticed this and chuckled some. It appeared that her father was seated next to Kankuro, and her suspicions were confirmed as Temari's husband took his place in the spare seat next to the stone village ambassador.

"Welcome," Gaara started, "Tonight we welcome and honor the beginning of a long alliance between our villages. As ambassadors, you have all been hand chosen by your respective Kages to act on their behalf in allied villages. This is an honor that should not be taken lightly; you have all earned this position through your dedication and loyalty to your kage. I hope you all enjoy your time in Suna."

A small applause erupted from the tables as Gaara then took his seat. He was instantly tended to by catering staff as they offered him sake, and canapés. The staff then poured sake into each small cup at everyone's place setting, when they had finished, they stood to the side of the hall. Kaede then watched as Gaara lifted his own small sake cup. Looking around, Kaede noticed that everyone followed suit, so she did the same.

"Kanpai," Gaara said clearly, any form of excitement was absent in his voice. It was as if he was only doing this toast because it was custom. The rest of the group raised their cups as well in toast, some men repeating the word before taking a sip of their sake. Kaede never liked sake much; it was like drinking hot fly spray. She preferred a sweet alcohol, but her father showed her some ways to add sweetness to sake such as adding a lime or a citrus fruit to the drink before sipping. After taking a polite sip and holding back a look of disgust, Kaede set the sake cup down.

Before long, the first course had arrived. It was a mixture of rice and dumplings that the caterers had placed sporadically over the table for people to help themselves too. There was more than enough food for everyone to have a good serving of. Kaede was particular to the pork dumplings in a soy based sauce. In fact, she probably had a little too many than what she should have, and the spring rolls were to die for! Believe it or not, but Kaede could stuff her face just as much as her father.

There were many small conversations throughout the hall. The volume of the chatter was almost like a small buzz to Kaede. From the corner of her eye she could see Gaara slowly eating a spring roll and seemingly was paying attention to Kankuro and her father's conversation. He seemed pretty disinterested though. Kaede was happy to remain silent and just focus on eating all she could. The food was delicious after all!

By the time the third course rolled around, Kaede was starting to get full.

"I remember your face from the second division, Roku." From across the table, the stone ambassador had addressed Kaede's father.

Roku halted his conversation with Kankuro and smiled towards the addresser.

"Yea, I remember you too Gyoza! We gave those white Zetsu's a run for their money!" Roku replied. By this time, pretty much the whole end of the table had tuned in to their conversation. This included Gaara, Temari, and Shikamaru.

"I remember you saying you wanted to travel for a bit, it's good to see you in Suna with your lovely wife."

Kaede almost choked on rice at that last statement, but Roku just laughed in dismissal.

"Ah, thank you, but she's actually my daughter."

Gyoza's eyes widened, "My apologies," and he nodded courtly to Kaede, who just smiled (with her mouth full), and returned the nod.

Before everyone could split back into their smaller conversations, the stone ambassador continued.

"I haven't heard a word from you all night, young lady. What's your name?"

Awkwardly, Kaede swallowed and looked around the table, noticing that almost everyone's eyes were on her. It was true, she hadn't spoken all night. She was actually too busy stuffing her face to really care about conversation.

"Kaede, sir." She replied quietly.

"And are you enjoying Suna?" He kept pushing.

"Yes, so far I've only seen the academy, and the children are very bright." Her words were soft and eloquent; she had to be in such a formal occasion. She remembered reading that in previous years women were barely even allowed to talk at all. Thank goodness times had changed.

"The academy?"

"I'm an instructor at the academy." Kaede explained to the table. It was quiet for a moment while a few people nodded politely in understanding. Gyoza however, had to ask more questions.

"An instructor, so that would make you just a chuunin then?" Kaede nodded, "I'm sure there are better things to do than waste your time babysitting little kids all day. That's all an instructor does really."

Kaede looked uncomfortably up at her father. Was this man really undermining her job in front of everyone? Roku furrowed his brows and spoke on Kaede's behalf.

"I hardly think it's babysitting at all."

"Even so," Gyoza continued, "She's so quiet I probably bet the kids walk all over her. No matter, give her a couple of years she'll find it too hard and quit. Maybe take up botany or something."

"Excuse me," Kaede interrupted him and she placed her chopsticks on their holder, "but I've been an instructor for four years and not one of my students have every failed!"

"Please, the new curriculum is easy." The conversation at the table was becoming a little heated, and by this time the whole inner table had paused to hear this little row. Temari was looking worriedly at Gaara, but the Kazekage's eyes were fixated on Gyoza and Kaede as they spoke. His eyes were narrowed, like he was carefully listening to their conversation.

"It was designed by the five Kages themselves so that all children could receive equal and proper training." Kaede rebutted.

"Even so, me and my Jonin team would be out for days on dangerous missions, killing enemies, and coming home bloodied and wounded. I bet you've never even cut anyone before. Face it Miss Kaede, you are a babysitter compared to most of the shinobi in here."

Roku's temper was becoming a little loose. His hands were balled into fists. How dare this man talk to his daughter like that! What was first a pleasant conversation had suddenly erupted into a debate over ranking and whose job was better. Gyoza had every right to voice his traditional and old-fashioned ideals so vividly, but there was a time and place for that. The banquet fit neither category.

"I beg to differ," a new voice entered the conversation, one that made everyone at the table go quiet. It was Gaara.

"The children are the future of the shinobi world. One day they will replace us as the new generation of thinkers and believers. It is Kaede's job to make sure they're prepared for what this world has to throw at them be it a war, famine, alliances, anything. She makes them wonder, think, and work harder than they ever have to become the best that they can,"

Gaara paused and looked over to Kaede, who sat there wide-eyed, hanging on his every word. Gaara then closed his eyes in thought and looked back over to Gyoza.

"Kaede may have one of the more difficult jobs. It's easy to go out and kill and complete a mission, but when it comes to ensuring these children are ready and excited for what the future holds, Kaede has a lot of expectations to fulfill from not only parents, but other shinobi, and above all me."

That was it, the conversation had ended. Gyoza nodded in respect and settled back in his seat to silently finish his meal. There was an awkward silence for a while but Kaede was just fixated on Gaara, and was still trying to comprehend what had just happened. She thought it was rather noble of Gaara to sweep in and defend Kaede like that. It just made her respect for him become much higher. He valued each and every shinobi and understood the importance of their role in the shinobi world. Just from that short speech Kaede could tell that he must be much loved and respected by the village with that attitude.

A small smile graced Kaede's face and it was coupled with a small blush as she looked back to her own plate and finished her meal.

* * *

"Thank god!" Kaede mumbled to herself as she stepped outside to a terrace. She was alone with her thoughts finally. The meal had ended and some speeches were given, now people were simply lingering to socialize and some had even returned home. She leaned over balcony and watched as Gyoza left with his companion, a short fat man. Good riddance to him! Kaede hoped that she would never have to see or speak to him again. Someone who showed such little respect didn't deserve an ounce of her time.

Kaede kicked off her slippers and let her bare feet rest on the cool sandstone floor. The wind had picked up some sand onto the balcony, so there was a gentle gritty feeling. Either way, the coolness soothed her aching feet. She adjusted her Kimono and obi so that she could move her shoulders and breathe more comfortably. It was a little chilly that night, but nothing Kaede could complain about. The gentle breeze played with her hair as her bangs were swept back. She took a deep breath as she leaned against the balcony and closed her eyes briefly.

"Too loud in there for you?"

Kaede snapped to attention as she was startled by the voice. She wasn't expecting anyone else out on the terrace, she thought she had finally found her own little quiet corner until her dad would come looking for her to tell her it was time to leave. Looking around, she noticed that the only other figure present was wearing a familiar green robe with a white overcoat. The wind picked up his shaggy red hair while his sea-foam eyes rested casually on Kaede.

"Oh, Lord Kazekage," Kaede quickly stood straight and bowed low, "I just came out to get some air."

Gaara nodded in understanding, "I too had the same idea." He walked and leaned over the railing next to Kaede he was propped on his elbows and looked out into the streets of Suna.

"I'm glad I saw you actually, I wanted to thank you," said Kaede.

Gaara raised a brow and moved his gaze to look at her.

"For sticking up for me at dinner," she finished.

A small smile grazed the Kazekage's lips, "It was no trouble. His old fashioned thinking was beginning to grow annoying."

"Your village must adore you."

Gaara nodded, "I believe everyone's job is equally important. While Jonin are out protecting the village, you are preparing the children for what is to come."

"And it is certainly not just babysitting." Kaede commented as she folded her arms. That comment was probably what stung the most during that conversation.

Gaara couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at her remark. She was mildly entertaining. He noticed her antics at dinner combined with her childish pouting were seemingly a part of who she was. Her and her father both had very light-hearted outlooks on life. He was always joking around with Kankuro while she was a gentle, kind soul towards the children. He was beginning to grow fond of Kaede, perhaps even enough to call her a friend. She reminded him so much of Naruto, the current sixth Hokage.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, until Temari opened the door to the Terrace.

"There you are, Gaara." Temari paused as she noticed he was standing there with Kaede, a small grin appeared on the older sibling's face.

"They're all looking for you in there. They want you to give a farewell speech."

"Right," Gaara nodded to his sister, "Give me a minute."

With that, Temari smiled towards Kaede, who had dipped her head in respect, and left. Kaede then looked over to Gaara as she walked towards the door.

"Well, can't keep them waiting much longer!"

"I'd like to see you again, Kaede." Gaara stated.

That statement nearly made Kaede trip over herself, he was so upfront and blunt in his request, it was as if he was commanding her more than actually asking her. Besides, what did he mean? A date? A casual visit? Kaede became slightly flustered as he walked to stand next to her. She fidgeting and kept adjusting her obi.

"Come to my office next weekend, I'd like to go over and finalize some paperwork for the Chuunin exams." He said.

"Oh, okay, sure!" Her response came across strangely enthusiastic.

"Good." Gaara nodded and he motioned with his hand to follow him back into the banquet hall, she was about to follow suit until he stopped her and spoke to her again.

"Don't forget your slippers."

* * *

RNR Please! Keep them coming!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime series Naruto, its characters, or any plot or storylines within the Naruto-verse. Kaede (OC) and any non-canon characters within this fiction are owned by me.

Plot: A story of duty, love, and defying the impossible. Kaede Tatsuya enters Suna as a new academy instructor, but what happens when a threat looms over the five nations and she is called away to fight for the Mizukage and a certain Kazekage is reluctant to let her leave? Gaara/OC GaaOC GaaraxOC GaaraOC

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**Chapter 4**

**The Princess**

Kaede sat at her desk in the academy classroom and lazily flicked a page in her book. She was reading a love story about a young princess who was kidnapped by a demon and was forced to have his children and be his wife-slave. It was a classic Stockholm syndrome story, eventually the heroine ends up falling in love with the demon that captured her and when she was finally rescued, she didn't want to leave. Kaede knew how cheesy and unrealistic the novel was. However, she always fancied herself a bit of a secret romantic. The occasional romance novel was her escape from the real world, the poetic words would often put ideas in her head and sometimes she would end up daydreaming for hours on end if no one was there to interrupt her.

Her students were still at lunch, and another instructor was out there and offered to bring in Kaede's students when time was up. Although it wasn't a necessary offer, Kaede graciously accepted nonetheless. The other instructors had grown on her some in her short three weeks, and she was glad to see that the other instructors had accepted her in return. There was also an instructor from the hidden cloud village as well, and he seemed to be fitting in just as well as Kaede was.

To her annoyance, her mind kept wandering back to the banquet dinner, it had been just over a week since then, but Kaede couldn't help but re-live that moment in her mind when the Kazekage defended her in front of the entire table. His input silenced the whole conversation, which made Kaede wonder just how much influence he had over not only his villagers, but over the entire five nations. She heard stories of his life growing up, how he was once a jinchuriki, and how he and Naruto, the Hokage of Konoha, had re-invented the Shinobi world, and the universal ninja way.

What worried Kaede even more was that she couldn't stop blushing every time his face came to her mind. She shook her head violently and tried to focus back to her book. An attraction to the Kazekage, unheard of! He probably had a girlfriend already, or he probably wasn't in the mood for any romantic attachments. Kaede knew she was probably just thinking like one of his many fan girls. He was attractive, smart, strong, and silent. They were qualities Kaede couldn't deny that she admired in him, but she never in her mind would let that stand in the way of their professional relationship.

As long as she could help it, that is.

The thundering of small feet brought Kaede back to the present. She looked up from her book to see her class beginning to line up outside the door to the classroom. Kaede didn't just let them charge in and sit down; they had to become settled and orderly first. Smiling, she closed her book and placed it in her top drawer. She then stood up and walked over to the door where her class of twenty five was waiting.

"Hey kids!" She said to them, "How was lunch?"

"Good Kaede-Sensei!" a lot of them had replied. She had a great rapport with her class, she gave them enough space to be able to be active and express themselves openly, but she was still able to maintain control of the class.

She moved from the door and motioned with her hand for the kids to enter the classroom and sit down. She did a silent head count as they walked past her; this was just to make sure everyone was present and accounted for.

"Well," Kaede began as the class began to settle. "I thought this afternoon I'd tell you a story, about how the shinobi came to be,"

The class became deadly silent and looked amongst each other. Kaede smiled, as young shinobi it was important to learn and understand the history of the shinobi world. The tale of the Shinju and Kaguya had been condensed into a child's tale. It was the Tsuchikage's idea to put history as an important aspect of the universal curriculum. History allowed them to learn the stories of the past, and not only learn from them, but also learn how the world has advanced through the ages. How opinions had changed, and most of all, the children can discover their heritage and origins.

"A long, long time ago," Kaede started to walk around the classroom, she has told this story many times to many different groups of children, so she taught herself to add a little drama to keep them interested, "there was a princess, her name was Kaguya."

For almost an hour, Kaede continued to tell the story about Kaguya and the Shinju, about how she ate the forbidden fruit and ended the wars, how her sons stopped the Shinju's power, and how many of the hidden villages were formed. It took this long because she stopped and answered some of the children's questions, like what a sharingan was and how Kaguya died.

When Kaede finished, she allowed the students a few moments to stew on what they were just told.

"Now," Kaede said to her class, "What do you think a princess looks like?"

Now, all the girls put their hands up to answer, but Kaede called on some boys to answer first.

"They wear dresses?"

"They have a crown."

Next, some girls answered.

"Long, pretty hair!"

"They're tall and very pretty!"

"I wish I was a princess!"

Kaede placed a hand on her chin in thought.

"Well darlings, why don't you show me what you think Kaguya looked like?"

Almost instantly, the class reached under their desks into their little shelf and pulled out paper and pencils. While some immediately began working on the paper, others stared at the ceiling or at a wall, obviously thinking. It was time to get all of them thinking. As Kaede walked around the room, checking work, she encouraged the students who had no idea what to draw first.

"Start with her head. What does her face look like? Has she got black hair like mine? Blonde hair like Sari here," Kaede ruffled the little blonde girl's hair as she walked past. "Perhaps even red hair?"

More children began to draw.

"Is she fat? She could have a long neck, maybe even dragon horns!"

Now, to an outsider, it might look like a bunch of students drawing an historical figure pointlessly. However, to Kaede, she was encouraging the children to not only think, but also express their ideas and make their thoughts a reality. It was a simple drill that allowed Kaede to discover her student's ability to not only think on the spot, but also think creatively and outside the box. In the real world, they may be faced with perilous missions and dangerous situations. Thinking both quickly and resourcefully could mean the difference between life and death. The detail and depth of the children's drawings is what will help Kaede assess this.

The lesson ended, and Kaede requested her students leave their drawings on their desk for her to collect. With a low bow from her students, she bid them farewell and allowed them to leave the classroom their parents would be waiting outside the building.

* * *

The afternoon sun shone through the portal windows of the Kazekage office. Despite the warmth outside, the sandstone based buildings in Suna provided good insulation and so as a result, the room was kept at a cool temperature. All day, the red head had been confined to his office with almost nothing but mission requests. His shinobi had been stretched thin lately trying with peace missions to other villages. He fiddled with his pen delicately between his fingers as he casually read another mission request. The local produce market needed a new chicken coop built. That was definitely a mission for a group of genin. Perhaps Temari's genin could go lend a hand.

Gaara then pulled another scroll from the pile and looked it over. The owner of the sweet shop was requesting a team to deliver some goods to Konoha, Gaara thought Shikamaru could do that when he visits his home village next. He and Temari were going with Shikaru to visit the Nara family. There would be a two week break from all academy classes during the chuunin exams, almost like a small holiday. Though the chuunin exams only went for about three days.

Looking back to the mission request about the sweet shop, a voice echoed in Gaara's mind from his memory.

"_Can you tell me where the nearest sweet shop is?"_

It annoyed him, because lately Gaara struggled to get Kaede out of his head. Every little thing reminded him of her, the mission request, Shikaru talking about school, right down to seeing anyone with black hair and immediately thinking it was her. He thought Kaede looked beautiful at the banquet, but would he say such a thing to her face? No. He has told many girls they looked beautiful, but they were shallow comments to get the girls to bend to his will. He was afraid if he told Kaede what he thought, it would just be another shallow comment, and would mean nothing.

Ever since becoming Kazekage, and after he reached eighteen years old, Gaara realized that he had many girls chasing after him, so he went through a phase where he would pretty much go through countless girlfriends (including Matsuri), it confused him with the fact that they became so boring after so long. Since he had no idea how girls and their minds worked, he just cast them aside. It was Kankuro who snapped him out of it. Gaara remembered asking his older brother why they became so boring, and Kankuro had told him it was because he didn't love them, and felt nothing towards them. Kankuro told him to stop playing with girl's hearts like that, because it could come back to bite him later. Gaara then stopped this phase and eventually grew up.

Now though, the twisted, confused feelings were coming back whenever he thought of Kaede. He barely knew her, and yet she was on his mind often. She _intrigued_ him.

Not a lot scares Gaara, but this was one of those rare things that did.

A knock on his office door made Gaara jump slightly out of his thoughts and he dropped his pen on the desk. He recalled he had requested a few people come to his office today, so perhaps this was the first person finally rocking up. Everyone had been flat chat busy preparing for the chuunin exams.

"Come in," Gaara said calmly and he straightened his posture in his chair. In private, he preferred to slouch lazily. A trait he and his brother shared.

The door opened, and Roku stepped in. Great, just as Gaara was getting Kaede out of his head, something else had to remind him of her. Gaara took Roku in full and he was a rather large, broad man with lean muscles and a face which held both age and experience. Although Gaara had to pinpoint one thing, Kaede looked nothing like him. The only common feature they appeared to share was the ebony hair.

"Lord Kazekage, I have the final list of genin from the mist village." Roku smiled at Gaara as he placed a pile of papers on the desk. Gaara smiled in return, showing appreciation.

"Finally, thank you Roku-san."

Roku nodded and was about to leave until Gaara spoke again.

"How is Kaede after the banquet?" Gaara inquired. He was referring to Gyoza's rude comments regarding her job in Suna.

Roku blinked and then it dawned on him. "Oooh, yea she's fine sir. We'll just stay away from that guy. A shame though, he seemed alright during the war." The taller man folded his arms in annoyance.

Gaara nodded in understanding.

"I must apologize for his behavior."

Roku smirked, "Hey it wasn't your fault. Some people are just closed minded. If he starts any trouble again though I might have to pay him a visit,"

"You obviously love her then."

"Of course, she's my daughter sir," Roku laughed.

"Where is her mother?" Gaara inquired.

"Ah, my lovely wife died during her birth," a sad smile appeared on Roku's face. Gaara felt a little guilty for bringing up such a touchy subject, "She just lost too much blood, but I thank her every day for giving me Kaede. She's a spitting image of her mother you know."

"So it's just you two then?" Gaara was starting to wonder why he was so inquisitive. If Kaede looked like her mother, then her mother must have been very beautiful.

"Yep!" Roku declared, beaming a smile, "Just us. I'll be sad on the day when I'm no longer the number one man in her life,"

Roku let out another laugh at the thought.

"But that's probably not going to be for a long time, that girl is married to her work."

Looking at his watch, Roku backed away from the Kazekage.

"I have to go now sir; I'm meeting Kankuro for drinks."

This news didn't come as a surprise for Gaara. Kankuro was known for having drinks after a long day of work, Gaara was glad that his brother had found a drinking buddy. So long as they don't stumble home in the middle of the night and wake his entire village up. Temari would kill them both.

"Of course, enjoy yourself."

With a playful salute, Roku turned to walk out the door, but peeked his head back in just as he closed it.

"Ya know," the older shinobi started, "Kaede's a bit of an idiot. If you like her, you have to be blunt about it or it'll go right over her head."

Gaara scoffed as he felt a small heat rising in his cheeks. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Roku smiled and closed the door; his belly laugh could be heard all the way down the hall.

* * *

I apologize for the short chapter, longer ones will come soon!

RnR Please!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime series Naruto, its characters, or any plot or storylines within the Naruto-verse. Kaede (OC) and any non-canon characters within this fiction are owned by me.

Plot: A story of duty, love, and defying the impossible. Kaede Tatsuya enters Suna as a new academy instructor, but what happens when a threat looms over the five nations and she is called away to fight for the Mizukage and a certain Kazekage is reluctant to let her leave? Gaara/OC GaaOC GaaraxOC GaaraOC

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**Chapter 5**

**Duty**

"Are you sure they'll be able to understand these questions?"

Kaede sat on the maroon lounge in the Kazekage's office as she flicked through a draft of what was going to be the written exam component of the chuunin exams. Once she had finished up at the school in the afternoon, Kaede had slowly made her way over to the kage tower for her afternoon meeting with Gaara to discuss the chuunin exams and what her role will be. She discovered that she would not only supervise the written exam, but also be a mediator during the one on one battles. There was a third component to the exams as well, and that was simply a 'capture the flag' tournament in the desert fields. However, the twist was that the genin would be divided into random teams of three. Kaede liked that idea, because it taught the genin to quickly learn and adapt to others and work together as a team despite their differences.

Gaara was facing out the porthole window as he listened to Kaede ask her question. He had designed the written exam to have easier questions at the start, and the more complicated ones at the end of the exam. He recalled years ago his first chuunin exam was simply a test of the genin's will and strength. Gaara had quickly picked up on the whole purpose of that exam, and he knew his siblings wouldn't have dared go against him before Ibiki introduced the final question. This written exam however, was purely to test their knowledge.

The red head turned to face his new friend and watched as she crossed one of her legs over the other while sitting on the lounge studying the draft. He wasn't overly sure as to why he valued her opinion on the exams that much. It may have been because he trusted her judgment, and as an instructor, she would have a good idea on what the current genin should know. He suspected that some of her ex students from the mist village may even be participating.

"I mean," Kaede continued, "towards the middle it gets a little complicated. Do we really want to let them struggle that early in the exam?"

"We can't go easy on them, Kaede." Gaara replied to her, "The older shinobi may think we've gone soft, we can't lower the standards and let just anyone pass."

"Since you put it that way, I don't see anything wrong with this exam." Kaede smiled as she stood up, walked over to Gaara, and handed back the draft.

"Good," Gaara took the paper from her, "I'll have them start printing the final copy immediately."

"Will that be all Lord Kazekage?"

Those words hit his ears like daggers. She didn't sound right calling him 'Lord Kazekage', it was a title he expected to hear from the elders or foreigners. His siblings and even Naruto simply called him Gaara. He found it strange that her father and many of his Jonin were comfortable calling him 'Gaara-sama', yet she still insisted on using the most formal title. Was she deliberately distancing herself from him? Did she not like Suna or him? Why did Gaara even care?

Gaara quickly considered her question. No, that will not be all, part of him wanted to keep her in his presence for longer. Unfortunately, he just couldn't think of anything to give her a reason to stay. His eyes moved around the room slowly; he was a little bit lost in thought. Then, his eyes rested on her satchel which lay open on the coffee table. Papers stuck out of it slightly with markings on them, they looked like scribble to him.

"What are those?" he said as he nodded towards the bag.

Kaede turned and looked at her satchel on the table. She went over to it and pulled from it a small handful of papers. A small smile adorned her face as she walked back over to Gaara and stood next to him. She held the papers out for him to see, but all he was focused on was how close she was.

Get it together you red-haired dolt!

"I told the kids the story of princess Kaguya, and then they wanted to draw her," she chuckled to herself as she handed them over to Gaara one by one as they observed each drawing. "I hadn't actually looked at them yet."

The drawings were a typical child's scribble. They were not master artworks, and some were much better than others, but with almost all of them the pair could make out at least the head, arms, legs, and hair. Some drew Kaguya with horns, one drew her in a big purple kimono, and another had given the princess blonde hair. They looked at the last picture and Gaara couldn't help but smirk. He held it up so that they could both examine it closely.

"This one looks like you." Gaara stated.

Kaede took one look at the photo and burst out laughing. It wasn't a small giggle or a chuckle; this was instead a full, whole-hearted belly laugh. Gaara could only give a small, humored smile at the situation. He wasn't one to normally laugh like that, when he was amused he was often known to simply smile and let out a small chuckle. He felt it was a little uncouth for someone of his rank and stature to laugh the way Kaede does. It was not that he had a problem with her laugh, he found it rather adorable. It was just the simple fact that he was such a reserved person.

"It kind of does, doesn't it? That one's going on the fridge." Kaede took it off Gaara and folded it in half to be placed in a separate pocket of her satchel. In all reality, the picture looked nothing like her. The only reason Gaara said it looked like her was that the figure's hair was long and black and it had large blue eyes, just like she did.

"Do you get much time off over the weekend?" Kaede asked.

Gaara raised his brow quizzically at her question. It was a rather odd thing to ask him. He was the Kazekage; his work was twenty four-seven.

"I try to spend most of my weekend leisurely," Gaara explained to Kaede, "it's rare that I get the whole weekend to myself, but I try to keep Sundays open."

Kaede nodded in agreement, "I like my Sundays to myself."

Sunday for Kaede meant sleeping in an extra hour, doing housework, and often taking a small trip to the travelling markets if they were in town. She spent most of her Saturdays trying to get work done for her students so that she was prepared for the week. So far, she was about three weeks ahead in her lesson planning. It was important for her to be so far ahead so that she knew what direction she was leading her students in. She couldn't just change the topic randomly the next day, it would throw them off entirely and leave them confused.

Gaara on the other hand, he stayed at home on Sundays. It was a day when he refused to even leave his house lest he was suddenly spotted by an elder and they decided to take up some business with him. It was a general rule amongst the council and the Jonin that the Kazekage was never to be disturbed in his own private home unless it was of upmost importance. Gaara could remember his father demoting a Jonin for such a thing.

The pair's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Gaara tore his eyes away from Kaede's and looked towards the large double doors.

"Enter," he said, his voice stoic and unamused.

However, the door opened and Kaede's father entered. Gaara's tone and whole demeanor changed from irritated to content. Roku was a man Gaara respected, mostly because of his loyalty to his village and his Mizukage. This man had also quickly become a friend of Kankuro's, so Gaara believed that if he was good enough to be Kankuro's friend, then he was good enough to receive Gaara's full attention and respect.

Kaede smiled and hurried over to her father, the drawings were left in Gaara's hands, forgotten. Unfortunately, Kaede's mood was cut shot as she furrowed her brows and noticed a grim look on her father's face.

"Dad? What's wrong?" She asked.

"I um, have to go out of town for a bit baby." Roku lifted a scroll that held a familiar seal on the outer trimmings. It was four waved lines within a blue circle, it was the official seal of the Mizukage. This seal on any scroll indicated not only upmost importance, but also the Mizukage wrote the letter herself.

"Why?" Kaede asked quizzically. Gaara was also interested in this conversation. He placed the drawings back into Kaede's satchel and walked over to join the conversation.

"Is anything wrong?" Gaara asked.

"I'm not sure to be honest," Roku started, "the Mizukage has called for all of her elite Jonin to return to the village. The reason is top secret, and I won't be told until I get there."

Kaede looked worriedly over to Gaara, who shared her expression. This didn't sound good in any way. Normally it was a matter of national security if they didn't want to give reasoning even over a sealed scroll. Only the person it was intended for could unseal and read it.

"Well I'll head home and we'll start packing then okay?"

With that, Kaede brushed past Gaara and picked up her satchel. Roku stood in the way of her and the door.

"I'm afraid you'll have to stay here." Roku said to his daughter. Kaede was shocked.

"Why?"

"The Mizukage is recalling her Jonin," Roku started but Kaede interrupted.

"But we do everything together!"

"I know!" His voice became stern, "Honestly baby, I don't know what's going down in the mist village, and I don't want to put you in any sort of danger." Roku's gaze went from Kaede to Gaara, "I trust this village and its Kazekage to keep you safe."

Despite being twenty, Kaede still had respect for her father's wishes and she knew his word was normally the final word, no matter how much they bickered. She knew that he was only trying to keep her safe, and for the Mizukage to recall all of her Jonin to Kirigakure, things must have been dire. Furthermore, she couldn't very well abandon her students.

"Your father is right, Kaede." Gaara intervened. It wasn't normally his way to intervene with family matters, but he felt a deep swelling of pride with himself and his village when Roku mentioned he trusted the red head with the safety of his daughter. Gaara made a mental note to write to the Mizukage later, and perhaps even send a few sand ninja to escort him home. If anything got out of hand, Gaara trusted that Roku would inform him straight away so that Gaara could prepare for counter measures.

"Are you really going to go alone?" Kaede asked her dad, finally admitting defeat.

Gaara spoke before Roku could, "I will send some sand ninja to escort him,"

Kaede huffed, "Fine."

Roku bowed slightly in Gaara's direction and then leaned forward and kissed his daughter on her forehead. "I'd better go reply to this. I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

After hearing a small, disheartened grunt from Kaede, Roku left the two alone again.

Gaara turned to Kaede, noticing her sudden mood change.

"You know he's only looking out for your safety," he started.

Kaede folded her arms, "I'm not a child anymore, and he needs to stop treating me like one. It's like he thinks I can't hold my own in a fight!"

The truth was, Kaede wasn't sure if she could hold her own in a real fight to the death. Sure, she has had some sparring and had to fend off a few ninja while on a mission, but she has never killed anyone before. She can't recall ever being in a situation of life and death, mostly because she was cooped up in the academy teaching the new shinobi. How could she teach without experience? It was times like this when Kaede began to doubt herself more and more in her ability.

She knew many water jutsus, and has even tried to pick up some wind techniques, but it's like learning a whole new language and way of controlling chakra. Kaede could make water out of moisture, and with this dry desert heat she often had to use water from her own body. It was important for her chakra and health that she drank as much water as she could.

"You're his treasure, Kaede," Gaara was trying his best to comfort her, "would he really want to throw you into unknown danger? You are all he has."

"Yea, I know." With a defeated sigh, Kaede slumped on the lounge with her head in her hands and elbows on her knees, "I'm just a worry wart".

"Would you feel better if I personally select the sand ninja to escort him?"

Kaede looked up to Gaara, a small smile finally appeared on her face, "Yes."

"Would you, um," Gaara paused as he realized he was almost lost for words. He could never remember a time when he openly said 'um'.

"Hmm?" Kaede inquired.

"Would you feel better if we went to eat Ramen?" Gaara finished, a small heat rising in his cheeks.

Kaede's smile faded quickly. Oh great he blew it.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" she asked her red-haired counterpart.

His reply was quick "No," and he noticed Kaede had raised a thin black brow, "It's dinner time, and I don't feel like eating alone."

Kaede couldn't help but laugh at his comment. He was cute in an awkward kind of way. She was still upset about her father, but she was grateful for Gaara's concern for her wellbeing. Her mind told her to head home and start to help her father pack, but her heart was telling her to stop worrying and just go have dinner with the Kazekage.

Not like date, just a casual dinner; with the Kazekage.

"I guess I could eat," Kaede stood and swung her satchel over her shoulder.

Her smile towards Gaara was all he needed to know that he had her gratitude. He slipped his white Kazekage robe off to reveal his simple black pantsuit underneath. She watched as he then quickly walked over to his desk and put his maroon overcoat on. He didn't need his gray buckled vest as he wasn't going to be carrying his gourd that evening.

"I know somewhere good," was all he said as he opened the door for Kaede and followed her out.

* * *

Only an hour had passed from when he invited Kaede to eat with him and from when he walked through the door to his family home. He parted with Kaede at the ramen place as she lived on the other side of town. He did however recall hearing the whispers of the villagers around them as they ate. He knew Kaede was beginning to feel uncomfortable, so he kept the conversation to be mostly about the chuunin exams and work.

The downfall to this was that it made Kaede believe that he was only discussing business and shinobi matters, and there wasn't any sign of an actual friendship forming. This was not the case. Gaara wanted to be friends with her, to feel for her the way he feels for Naruto. He wanted to have an ultimate desire to protect her, and keep her close to him. After all, that's what friends did, right?

Although, Gaara remembered that during dinner, he kept staring at her hands. They were small, but she had long dainty fingers and he noticed that she never really did anything with her nails, just kept them trimmed. He wondered what it'd be like to touch her hand, to hold it even just for a minute. He found it amusing just the way she held her chopsticks and flurried them about as she talked, it was like watching someone conduct a band.

Her eyes still held the same sadness of when she found out her father had to leave. Gaara was worried that she would be lonely in the apartment, and he was trying to think of ways to make her more comfortable. His first thought would be that she lived with him, but then he quickly came to his senses and realized that would probably freak her out.

Lastly, he was left wondering why he was so concerned for her welfare at all. He couldn't make sense of the strange emotions that swirled inside him whenever he was around or even thought of Kaede. No one had ever done this to him before. This was his attempt to get to know her and talk to her more- to see if the feelings would go away. So far, they haven't.

Was he developing feelings deeper than friendship for Kaede?

Pinching his nose, Gaara proceeded to walk into the kitchen where he looked up to see that the light was on, and Temari was leaning against the counter, her arms folded and she looked none too pleased.

"What are you doing, Gaara?" she asked her younger brother.

"What do you mean?" Gaara replied to her.

Temari sighed in frustration and pushed herself off the counter.

"I heard you and Kaede went out to dinner,"

"So?" Gaara's patience began to wane.

"The elders wouldn't approve of you perusing a relationship with a Mist shinobi," Temari said to him.

"I'm not," her youngest brother replied quietly as he brushed past her to get a glass of water.

"You can't lie to me, Gaara," Temari's voice grew stern, and Gaara was growing annoyed because he knew he was about to get lectured.

"I've seen the way you act around her and the way you talk about her," Temari started, "I want you to find the happiness that I have with Shikamaru, but this is wrong. I like Kaede, I really do, but the elders will be furious at you, they may even demand you resignation,"

"What's it to them anyway? You married a leaf shinobi; father would have killed you both if he found out." Gaara snarled.

"They're stuck in their traditional ways. You are the Kazekage; they want you to settle down with another sand shinobi. I'm just a sibling. They're getting impatient, you're twenty two and they're starting to consider an arranged marriage."

Gaara knew this all too well, and he rolled his eyes.

"That's the price you pay of being Kazekage, things can't always go your way. I don't want either of you hurt when everything goes pear-shaped." Temari mumbled.

If there was anyone left stuck in their traditional values, it was the Suna elders. They have expressed on multiple occasions their discontent that their Kazekage was unmarried and had no children at the young age of twenty two. Their mother had Temari when she was just eighteen, and their father was twenty one. Having a large family comprising of Suna shinobi was custom for the Kazekage, because it meant bloodlines were kept strong, and abilities were passed down through generations. Gaara's ability to control sand was a prized ability to the elders, so they wanted to see it passed on to the next generation. Since it was such a powerful skill, they didn't want it to 'die out'.

"This conversation is over," Gaara stated firmly to his sister as he placed his glass in the sink and stormed upstairs to his room.

He hated to admit it, but Temari was right about everything.

* * *

I apologize for the late chapter! Thank you to all my readers and reviewers so far. I hope you enjoy!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime series Naruto, its characters, or any plot or storylines within the Naruto-verse. Kaede (OC) and any non-canon characters within this fiction are owned by me.

Plot: A story of duty, love, and defying the impossible. Kaede Tatsuya enters Suna as a new academy instructor, but what happens when a threat looms over the five nations and she is called away to fight for the Mizukage and a certain Kazekage is reluctant to let her leave? Gaara/OC GaaOC GaaraxOC GaaraOC

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**Chapter 6**

**Brashness**

Kaede struggled to find the willpower to let her father go. She had been up since the crack of dawn making sure everything was ready for his trip. He had plenty of water and food to last him weeks even though it only took six days to get to the mist village as the crow flies. Kaede wasn't sure what she was going to do without her father for a while. She would have to come home to an empty house every day, she would only be able to cook for herself, the only good thing that came out of it was that she didn't have to wear pants around the house on her days off.

"I'll write to you as soon as I get to the village," Roku peeled his daughter's arms from around his neck and placed them by her side. He then put both his hand on her shoulders, "I'll be fine. You just take care of my work here."

With Roku leaving, Gaara would require a temporary ambassador for the mist village. Kaede was the only suitable choice, and she graciously accepted the offer. It would mean more money coming in for her household. However, Gaara couldn't help but feel guilty that he was placing so much work on Kaede's shoulders. Although, the chuunin exams were only days away, so there wouldn't be any academy lessons for at least two weeks. Hopefully Roku would have returned in that time so that Kaede wouldn't have to balance the duties of an ambassador, being a proctor, and teaching the young kids.

"Yea, sure dad," Kaede sighed and took a step back from her father. "Be safe, okay?"

With a grin and a nod, Roku turned and walked down the trench and out the gates of Suna accompanied by the sand Jonin Gaara had personally chosen for the journey. They were both excellent Shinobi and had served their village well in the wars. Their mission was to escort Roku to the mist village, and then return straight back to Suna. Gaara had also informed the trio that if they wanted to, they could stop in the Leaf village for a proper rest. Gaara knew that the Hokage would welcome any Suna shinobi, as would Gaara do for any leaf shinobi.

Gaara stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on Kaede's shoulder. Kaede was slightly surprised at this motion, but kept any sign of her surprise hidden as she quickly turned her head slightly in acknowledgement of Gaara's comfort.

"He will be fine, Kaede." Gaara said to her smoothly.

"I know, I just wish I knew when he would be coming back." Kaede replied.

* * *

Later that day, Kaede watched as her class worked away on a few simple questions in a workbook she had designed for them. The book mostly consisted of different element types and what jutsus fit with which chakra type. In all honesty, Kaede was not in an overly good mood. That was not to say she would take it out on her class, she wasn't that sort of person. However, she was thankful that her class was being well behaved. They were quietly whispering amongst themselves as Kaede sat at her desk supervising them. The class quickly learned how observant she was when it came to watching them complete tasks.

Kaede looked up at the clock and noticed that it was five minutes until two o'clock, which meant the end of the day for the younger children. She pushed herself up from her chair and then walked towards the center of the class while clapping her hands.

"Okay kids," Kaede said to them softly, "The school day is over in five minutes. Whatever you haven't finished of the booklet I want it done over the two week break," A groan from the kids made her chuckle.

It was the last day of classes before the chuunin exams and then they were on a two week break. Kaede was hoping that she would be able to relax before the exams, but unfortunately with her father gone, she had to take up the mantle of ambassador. It wasn't a huge work load at the moment since her father completed most of it before he left. However, she still had to ensure the regular duties were being carried out such as assigning missions regarding the water country and keeping track of any trade happening between the villages.

With a bow from her class, she dismissed them and they filed out the door in an orderly fashion and Kaede soon followed suit once she flung her satchel over her shoulder. Walking outside, she noticed how parents were outside waiting for their children to come out and she smiled to these parents as they waved to her. She got along well with most of the parents, and some she barely knew. She figured if there was little to no communication then everything was going well both at home and with the child's school work. Parents were strange creatures.

When the kids had scattered and departed with their parents, Kaede looked around and sighed solemnly. This would be her first night alone in the house. Sure, her father would always go on missions when they lived in the mist village, but Kaede was too young to look after herself at the time and she was sent to a friend's house for a sleep over. When Kaede reached Genin level, she and her father would always go out on missions together.

She began to slowly make her way home until a shadow loomed over her and she quickly snapped her head up.

"Hey," the stranger said.

Kaede instantly knew that he wasn't from Suna. His tanned skin contrasted with his white curled hair as a cloud headband kept it out of his eyes. He wore simple cloud shinobi attire with a grey hooded jumper and the white flak vest accompanied by the usual red striped shin guards. The long katana sword on his back made Kaede uneasy. An armed stranger was talking to her? What would he want? Kaede remained casual but alert.

"Hello," she said shortly to him.

"Um, can you show me the way to the Kage tower?" The cloud shinobi asked as he took what appeared to be a lollipop from his mouth.

"I've never been here before," he continued to explain, "So I'm afraid I'll get lost, and then I might end up in some alley with no way to get out, then night could come and I could catch a cold, and then,"

"Sure," Kaede interrupted him quickly. What an over exaggerator! "This way," she turned on her heel and walked in a northerly direction, the cloud shinobi walked beside her as she led him to the tower. She was certainly cautious of him, but since the fourth war, it wasn't uncommon to see foreign shinobi in other villages. She supposed he may have just been delivering a message from his village. She thought she might pry a bit. After all, she wouldn't want him wasting Gaara's time.

"Do you need to see the Kazekage?" Kaede asked him.

He placed a hand on the back of his head, "Yeah," he answered nervously, "The Raikage sent me ahead to make sure everything was ready for the chuunin exams. He'll be arriving with our Genin tomorrow."

"The Raikage?" Kaede suddenly felt a bit star struck. Of all the shinobi she had read about and the stories of the Kages she had heard from elder shinobi, the Raikage intrigued her the most. Particularly since his younger brother (well, adopted brother), was the eight tails jinchuriki. She thought it was strange that he of all people would be coming to watch the chuunin exams first hand. From what she heard he preferred to stay in his village. Since Kaede was going to be a proctor, she would also be on display in terms of how she judged and handled the matches.

"Yep," he replied.

"Are all the kage coming to watch the exams?" Kaede pressed on.

"Uh, I'm not sure." He answered truthfully.

"Have you ever been to Suna before?" She asked him.

"Nope, you seemed like a friendly face so I thought I might as well ask for directions… in case I got lost."

"Goodness how awful that would have been," Kaede mocked playfully.

"Well, at least I found a pretty lady to rescue me," he teased back.

Shortly after, and after some more small-talk, Kaede had entered the kage building where she walked straight past the receptionist and up the stairs to Gaara's office. She had visited that often it was no longer necessary for her to make an appointment or let her presence be known. She pretty much just waltzed right into his office nowadays.

Although, since she had a stranger with her, she knocked.

"Enter," She heard Gaara's silky voice from the other side of the door.

Kaede pushed the door open and stepped inside his office.

"Lord Kazekage," Kaede addressed him formally, she was about to speak but the red head interrupted her. He was sitting at his desk fiddling with some paperwork and he had dropped his pen at the sight of the newcomer.

"Omoi, long time, no see," Gaara greeted him casually. Kaede breathed a sigh of relief, it was a good thing that Gaara knew this cloud shinobi, she didn't have to be so formal in their presence. The cloud ninja, Omoi, stepped into the office and casually took a seat on the maroon couch.

"You too Kazekage, sir." The cloud ninja smiled.

"I'm assuming Lord Raikage is on his way?" Gaara asked the tanned shinobi.

"Yep," Omoi replied before reaching in his pocket and pulled out two scrolls to hand to the Kazekage. They were simply a list of names and profiles of the Cloud genin who would be participating.

"He wanted me to make sure he and his genin were expected and their quarters were ready." Omoi continued.

"Certainly, the quarters are in the west wing of the kage tower. Just follow the signs." Gaara responded to Omoi.

"Cool," Omoi dipped his head to the Kazekage before placing a hand on Kaede's shoulder, "Thanks pretty lady, I'll see ya around." With that, Kaede watched with a small grin on her face as Omoi left the office, closing the door behind him. She whipped her head back around at the sound of Gaara letting out a rather loud cough. Kaede looked at him puzzled.

"How did you end up escorting him?" Gaara asked casually.

"I was walking home from the academy and he asked me where the kage tower was." Kaede shrugged as she folded her arms.

Believe it or not, there was a small amount of jealousy boiling inside Gaara, and it was completely involuntary. He had never been hit with the green eyed monster, and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. It was the way Kaede absently grinned as she watched Omoi leave the office. Sure, he was a handsome fellow, and somewhat exotic, but from memory Gaara knew he was pretty dense and dramatic.

Kaede didn't like the silence in the room. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," Gaara replied coolly.

"Are you jealous?"

"No," he snapped back.

"Don't be silly," she teased; "I will probably never see him again," Kaede sat on the couch and put her chin in her palms.

"Although he is rather handsome," she stated.

"Stop it," Gaara growled.

Kaede frowned as she watched Gaara hunch over and pick up his pen again. He was in a strange mood all of a sudden. She thought they had reached a level of friendship where they could at least converse and comfortably joke with each other. They have done so a few times before. However, it seemed Kaede was wrong. Perhaps he just wanted to keep their relationship strictly professional, no emotions, no friendships, just him doing his job, and her doing her job.

"Gaara, what's wrong?" those words rolled off her tongue so naturally and delicately like she had been calling him by his name the entire time they've known one another.

He looked up, slightly stunned. This was the first time she had called him by his name and without any honorifics. It was as if she recognized him as a friend and not just the Kazekage. He felt almost honored that she would call him by his name; it was something he had been waiting for quite some time now. He was still unsure of his feelings, and whether he should even pursue any sort of friendship with her. After all, Temari's words a few nights ago were still fresh in the back of his mind. Shinobi normally kept relationships to people from their own village, especially shinobi of power, like Kages. However, that was such an outdated way of thinking. The alliances have allowed for much more interaction between villages, so it was only natural that eventually relationships would form between different labelled shinobi.

Coughing slightly, Gaara searched for excuses.

"I'm just… stressed." He stated plainly.

In truth, he was a little bit on edge. He was hosting two of the other four Kages and so he needed to make sure he was accommodating to both of them. The Raikage's personal suite doubled as a gym with weights and an ample supply of protein drinks. The Hokage's room had to have lots of ramen available and beauty products for the Hokage's wife. He left that arranging to Temari, as Gaara was useless when it came to women's products. On top of that, he had to make sure the scheduling, papers, and matches were drawn up exactly according to the proposed plan. Things had to be perfect. His village was being put on show for the rest of the shinobi world to see.

Kaede paused, "Want a back rub?"

Gaara almost fell out of his chair, "W-what?" he can't recall ever stuttering like that before. Kaede was full of surprises.

"It helps stress, doesn't it? Dad would come home from missions all the time all sore and bruised,"

Kaede moved from the lounge and made her way to Gaara's chair. His chair didn't have a high back so it was easy for her to reach for his shoulders. Gaara was even more shocked with the fact that she didn't even wait for a response, she just jumped right in and helped herself. He was left speechless.

Kaede reached out and gently pressed her thumbs between his shoulders and began making gentle circular motions around the nape of his neck. Any words Gaara had in his mind were gone out the window within the first few seconds of her touch. It was soft, gentle, refreshing. He only wore his black shirt and long kage haori so he felt every bit of pressure from Kaede's hands. It was a touch that made Gaara sink back into his chair. He had received back rubs before, and Kaede wasn't the absolute best at it, but the ability was there to at least undo the knots in his neck and shoulders.

Kaede watched as Gaara shuddered under her hands, like a cat receiving a good scratch. She thought it was so cute how he appeared to be jealous of Omoi before. She knew in her gut that he was a little put-off by it. However, she had only just met Omoi and was doing a fellow shinobi a favor, Gaara had nothing to worry about. She was a little surprised he hadn't protested the back rub yet. Perhaps this was exactly what he needed. She was under the impression that this was completely platonic of course, she was just too nice. Kaede admitted it would probably look really bad if someone was to burst through the doors right then, but they would cross that bridge once they came to it.

Did she have feelings for Gaara? Kaede would not be able to answer that question with a straight answer. She knew that any sort of relationship with him, except for a platonic friendship, would be completely out of the question. She was an instructor at the academy, she was a mist shinobi, and she had no great talents or any special kekkei genkai, only a love for her job, her father, and her students. On the other hand, he was once a feared Jinchuriki, he was a highly regarded sand shinobi who helped change the ideals behind the shinobi way of life, and he was the respected Kazekage.

No, there was no way anything could happen between them, too much was at stake and so many factors would try to keep them apart.

She was lost in her thoughts for a while and there was a comfortable silence between the two as she eventually worked her way to his mid back. She used the heel of her palm to massage the muscles near his spine. Through the clothing, she could feel that he was well-toned. Although a small build, she believed he still had the physical strength of anyone twice his size. Slowly, she worked her way back to the nape of his neck.

Then, a hand grabbed hers. Her train of thought was cut short and before she knew it, her ocean blue orbs were staring into Gaara's own turquoise eyes.

"Kaede…" he said softly as he brought his hand up to her cheek, then to the back of her neck. His eyes were soft, they had a sense of vulnerability in them, like he was wanting, almost pleading.

Kaede wasn't sure what to think, or feel for that matter, she suddenly felt her whole world become so surreal that she was sure she was going to wake up in her own bed back in the mist village. She felt a slight pressure on the back of her neck; he was pulling her in to him, closer to his face.

Gaara couldn't take his questioning anymore; he wanted to see if his feelings, if there were any at all, were real and true. He knew there was only one way to find out and he knew it was a big risk. Slowly, carefully, he raised his head so that their lips were almost touching.

Then, he felt a small jerk, and he quickly let go of Kaede. She raised her head slightly away from his and stared into his eyes for a moment, confusion riddled in her expression, or was it fear?

"I," she paused, a wave of panic was in her voice, "I have to go."

Without another word, she quickly moved away from Gaara and he watched her hurry over to her satchel, she picked it up and then quickly made her way out of the office without another word nor even another glance at him.

Gaara, you fool.

* * *

RNR Please! A big thank you to all of my reviewers so far!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime series Naruto, its characters, or any plot or storylines within the Naruto-verse. Kaede (OC) and any non-canon characters within this fiction are owned by me.

Plot: A story of duty, love, and defying the impossible. Kaede Tatsuya enters Suna as a new academy instructor, but what happens when a threat looms over the five nations and she is called away to fight for the Mizukage and a certain Kazekage is reluctant to let her leave? Gaara/OC GaaOC GaaraxOC GaaraOC

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**Chapter 7**

**The Chuunin Exams**

Kaede stood at the back of the exam hall with her arms folded. She kept a stern look on her face as her eyes scanned the genin for any sign of cheating. She recalls a trick a leaf ninja once used on them- forcing them to cheat to see how well they could execute subtle moves. However, this exam was not like that at all. It was strictly a knowledge based test- no cheating was allowed at all. Kaede was one of the five proctors who supervised the exam. They walked around the hall at a slow, steady pace, watching each individual genin work on their exam. There was an even amount from each village, about ten or so, which meant there were fifty candidates for chuunin and only about two or three from each village would actually make it through.

The Raikage made sure that the title of Chuunin and Jonin were not taken lightly, and it took a serious amount of work to earn said ranks. Kaede remembers reading the report of the most recent Kage summit where the Raikage made this opinion clear, and no other kage objected to his belief. In fact, Kaede agreed with him. She remembers working hard for her Chuunin title in the mist village while the war was going on. In fact, Kaede didn't even take exams. In light of the circumstance, and the fact that there were so few well-disciplined shinobi, the Mizukage promoted Kaede to chuunin at the recommendation of her father and other Jonin of his caliber.

Despite concentrating on the genin completing the written test, Kaede still couldn't shake the thought of what had happened in Gaara's office just three days before. She panicked. After convincing herself that there was no emotional attachment, and that it was just a friendship, he goes and tries to kiss her. In fact, she was still asking herself why she was scared in the first place. Perhaps it was because she felt she wasn't good enough for him? Perhaps her father wouldn't have approved? Perhaps she was afraid of what others would say?

She wanted to kiss him, she really did, but her brain won the battle over her heart.

She hadn't spoken to him nor even seen him in those three days, and he hasn't made any contact with her. Sure enough, it was likely that her running off like that insulted him, and so now he probably hated her for it. She felt cowardly, but she couldn't help that she was naturally shy. Not to mention, she had never felt like this towards anyone before, she had always been so focused on her work that any attempt to woo her or other shinobi getting to know her would have gone straight over her head.

Kaede let out a frustrated sigh and before she knew it, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning her head, she saw Omoi standing next to her. He released his hand from her shoulder once he had her attention; the proctors had to be silent after all lest they distract the Genin.

"Hey," he whispered to her, "there's only like, ten minutes left."

"Oh," Kaede looked up at the clock and noticed that time had flown by. Two hours was almost up.

"Thanks." Kaede smiled at him and then walked to the front of the room. Clapping her hands together once, she caught the Genin's attention and even made some jump in their seats.

"Ten minutes left, Genin." Kaede addressed them.

Looking around, Kaede had noticed that some had already finished their exam, and were sitting back in their seats fiddling with their pencil or staring at the ceiling. She looked towards the back of the room and noticed that one Genin in particular seemed rather fidgety, he was from her village, and his mist headband was slightly tattered as it held back his brown hair. He was scratching himself constantly. His wrist, his neck, his shoulder, his knee, like he had a hundred bugs biting him at once. However, he didn't seem to be bothered by the itching as he kept his head straight and was staring directly at the wall in front of him. Perhaps he was just nervous. She recognized him as one of her students before she left for Suna. He was a rather quiet kid, but excelled in his theory work- his practical training needed improvement, but overall Kaede was proud that he eventually was selected to participate in the chuunin exams.

Sure enough, the ten minutes were up and Kaede was relieved from her duties and another proctor wrapped up the exam. Kaede stepped out of the hall and began walking down the streets of Suna towards the ramen stand. It was a cool day in Suna, so she was clad in a pair of shorts with mesh knee length stockings and a simple thin moss green hooded shirt. As she was proctoring, she also wore the standard Suna flak vest and her headband was tied as a headband to keep her bangs in check. Her ebony hair was loose and flowing freely for a change, so the back of her neck wasn't cold from the cool breeze.

As she paid for and ate her Ramen, Omoi sat next to her, a concerned look on his face.

"Did you see the Genin sitting in row 3 at the back?" He asked her.

"Yes," Kaede was glad she wasn't the only one to notice. "I taught him when he was in the academy, pretty smart boy but I never remembered him twitching like that."

"Nerves probably," A new voice entered the scene. A woman from the same village as Omoi sat on the other side of Kaede. Upon arriving in the village a few days ago, Kaede learned that her name was Karui, and that the two cloud proctors were actually Lord Killer Bee's students. They would have to have great patience for someone with an eccentric reputation as his.

"Come on, Omoi," Karui interjected before the conversation went any further, "The Raikage wants us to report back to him straight away."

With that, Omoi and Karui left Kaede to enjoy her ramen by herself. She didn't have a lot to do for the rest of the day since she was not rostered to proctor the teamwork exam. It was a simple 'capture the flag' style exam in the middle of the Suna desert. Pretty much, the Genin had to capture at least one flag from each of the other teams. They were divided into random teams of five (each team composed of Genin from different villages), then they had to search for and capture the other teams flags while defending their own. There were five different colored flags and whichever teams managed to get all five colors, then they advanced to the one on one matches. Whichever team lost all of their flags failed the exams.

* * *

"These one on one matches will test your strength, agility, and your ability." Kaede explained to the twenty Genin in front of her. It appeared the teamwork exam was a little harder than she first anticipated. Thirty of the genin were cut from the exams already. Those who failed were a mix of teams who failed the exam and those who lost all of their flags in the teamwork exam. Still, twenty was an average number it seemed. Kaede noticed that there was probably more cloud Genin than any others. There was also the itching mist genin from before as well. Kaede recalled that his name was Haku. He still had the nervous itch about him, which made Kaede slightly worried.

"I will be overseeing the matches," Kaede continued, "So my word is final. I expect a nice clean match from all of you. Show off all you want, but if I see you're attacking with the intent to kill, you will be disqualified."

The Genin group then broke off to the side lines where they were receiving short lectures and advice from their senseis. It was a simple ring with the spectator stands raised. It appeared almost all of Suna had come to watch the battles. After all, this was the part of the exam everyone waited for. Kaede looked up and noticed that sitting in a distinct section was the Raikage. He had Omoi and Karui up there with him too; they were leaning on the railing looking at the genin candidates. The Raikage seemed to be fixated on them as well. Kaede hadn't met him yet, but he certainly did appear to be bigger in person. She also noticed that his younger brother, Lord Killer Bee, was up there too, writing away in a little notebook.

Looking over to her left, Kaede saw the Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki. A well respected and celebrated shinobi sitting in another isolated section. They were front and center so that they could watch the matches clearly. It was like a 'VIP' part of the arena. Naruto was sitting next to a young woman, about Kaede's age, with long navy hair and silver eyes. She was his wife, Hinata Hyuuga. Kaede recalled that there was a Hyuuga among the Genin candidates, but he was too old to be considered their child. Upon close inspection Kaede noticed that Hinata had a tiny, rounded belly poking forward through her Kimono. It was unusual for women to travel so far while pregnant, but obviously the Hokage wouldn't have let her come if it was considered dangerous.

Lastly, sitting at the northern end of the stand was him, Gaara. She hadn't seen him since she left him in his office that day. She could feel his gaze on her, and she pretended that she didn't notice him looking at her. After all, she had probably hurt him that day, so there may have been a feeling of resentment. Along with Gaara, Temari and Shikamaru had a seat and Kaede grinned as she noticed Shikaru's head poking over the solid sandstone railing.

Two matches were already out of the way. Kaede had pulled her hair up in a high ponytail to keep it out of the way as she watched the combatants carefully with her arms folded. So far there had been no slip ups, and a couple of the Genin showed promising skill. Two cloud shinobi had already passed the exam, not uncommon since they were always pushed to their limits.

"Next up," Kaede waiting for the names to appear on the large screen, these names appeared randomly and they determined who would fight whom in the arena.

"Haku Izami versus Hirashi Hyuuga," Kaede announced.

Kaede watched as the combatants walked towards their respective sides of the arena. They were required to stand on the X markings before the battle commenced. Hirashi appeared quite confident. He held the same white eyes as the Lady Hinata; Kaede was well versed in different kekkei genkai and gifts among different clans, so she knew all about the byakugan and what it was capable of. Haku on the other hand, continued to twitch and scratch himself all over. Kaede watched him carefully as he approached his marker and stood there, a nervous look on the brown haired boy's face.

Kaede counted to thirty while suspense hung in the air. She raised her hand "Begin!" she shouted and stepped away from the firing lines.

Hirashi immediately activated his Byakugan, while Haku took out a kunai. The mist Genin was going to need more than that to take down someone with a Byakugan. In an instant, Hirashi was unleashing taijutsu fury on the poor Haku. Haku was crying out in pain with each hit, and Kaede could tell that Hirashi wasn't even using is full potential. What a weakling the mist has produced in her absence. She never would have let Haku participate in the Chuunin exams if she were still in the mist village.

Then, something unexpected happened.

With each blow Hirashi was giving Haku, his muscles and whole physique grew larger and larger. Kaede's eyes widened, the mist boy was absorbing the energy from the blow, and using it to create his own physical strength. However, something appeared off about it. Kaede never knew Haku to have this kind of ability when she taught him; there certainly were no abilities like this in his family. So how did he develop such a unique technique?

Next thing she knew, Haku had almost tripled in size and muscle, which resulting him in looking like a muscled monster… for lack of better term. He appeared probably larger than the Raikage. His muscles were uneven and one arm was larger than the other, blue veins poked out of his unnatural form, and by this time Hirashi stepped away from him, confused. Kaede looked up to Gaara, and she saw that he too had the same confused look as the rest of the crowd. Everyone was silent as they beheld this young boy snarling like an animal, drooling from the mouth, and his eyes were bloodshot, like there was no trace of humanity left in them.

With a swift swing of his arm, he had knocked Hirashi back against the wall of the arena, causing some of the Genin to scatter. Kaede gasped and watched as Haku dived for Hirashi again, this time lifting him up by his collar and giving him a swift kick towards the other end of the arena. Kaede looked up to Gaara again, she wanted to stop the match, but sought a second opinion. All while this was going on, Kaede could hear the cries of pain from Hirashi, and she looked back over to him to see his bloodstained brown hair falling over his bruised face. Hirashi was seriously injured, and Kaede knew then and there she had to stop the match.

"Stop." Kaede called out to Haku as he threw Hirashi against the wall. However, instead of listening to Kaede, he charged for Hirashi again.

"Genin, I said stop the match!" With that, Kaede swiftly moved herself between Haku and Hirashi, her palms were out and her eyes narrowed. Haku kept coming, his mist headband had broken off him and his clothes were torn. Kaede watched as he closed the gap between them and she eventually moved to create hand signs.

"Water style: Water prison!" she cried in her mind as she pursed her lips. A clear blue stream of water burst from her mouth and surrounded Haku; it eventually enclosed around him and created a sphere of water. Haku stopped in his tracks. Kaede had designed the water in her prison to have a strong sedative, so Haku almost instantly fell limp. The oxygen in the water could keep him alive for at least six hours. Kaede executed a simple movement impairing jutsu to stop the match; it was a last resort for her.

Gaara's eyes were wide at what he saw before him. He had never, ever in his life thought that this would happen at the Chuunin exams. There was something seriously wrong with the mist Genin, he watched as the young leaf genin gave him hell with the byakugan and taijutsu but Haku just got larger and larger. Gaara was staring at Kaede the entire time, and finally they caught gaze with one another, fear and uncertainty riddled across her face and he gave one silent nod to urge her to stop the match. He watched as she executed an impressive impairing jutsu and turned to face the injured Hyuuga.

With Haku immobilized, Kaede turned her attention to Hirashi who was lying on the ground covered in his own blood, battered and bruised. She turned him over and cradled his torso in her arms.

"Shh," She coo'ed to him, "You're going to be fine." Kaede looked up to the main doors of the arena.

"Medics!"

In a split second, two medical shinobi carrying a stretcher, and the Lady Hinata busted through the main doors to the arena. The small swollen belly didn't prevent Hinata from sprinting over to her assumed relative. She knelt next to Kaede and cupped the young Genin's face.

"Oh my poor baby cousin!" Hinata looked up at Kaede, "How could this have happened?" Kaede's response was a small shrug and a shake of her head. Before long, the medical shinobi had Hirashi on a stretcher and they proceeded to walk out of the arena with Hinata following suit.

"Kaede-sensei, look out!" cried Shikaru from above.

Kaede turned to find that Haku had awakened in his watery prison, and said prison was slowly shrinking around the enraged Genin until it dissipated entirely. Kaede's eyes widened, he had absorbed her jutsu and was making his way towards Kaede, eyes intent on killing.

She had a kunai in her hand, ready to take the blow that was about to come, she felt it was too late to do any sort of jutsu and she didn't want to see any more Genin hurt.

The blow never came.

Instead, there was a loud crash and a cloud of dust in the air. Kaede looked up to see in front of her was the towering form of the Raikage, his lightning shield was activated. He had leapt from the balcony and with a mighty swing of his arm he drove Haku into the ground. Getting up, the Raikage made his way over to Kaede, but Haku was still not out for the count. Instead, Haku was breathing heavily, his skull half-shattered in, and he grew larger… and larger. He had absorbed the Raikage's chakra.

It was too much for Haku to absorb. Kaede and the Raikage knew what was about to happen.

"Kazekage!" The Raikage called out, but Gaara didn't need a prompt, he was already standing at the railing, his arms out as he commanded his sand to envelope Haku.

There was a sickening crack, and then an explosion. It sounded… wet. Gaara knew that he did not use his sand burial technique on a Genin. He knew the boy was going to explode from the amount of chakra he had absorbed. Gaara was simply shielding everyone from not only the blast but also the unsightly view that would have followed.

Kaede stood there wide eyed and pale as the sand melted away to reveal a mangled corpse. Gaara quickly called on more sand to cover the gruesome sight. Genin, senseis, and civilians alike were screaming, scrambling to get away. Naruto had leapt from the railing and immediately went to his wife to ensure she was okay. All Kaede could do was stand there with Gaara and the Raikage, all glancing between each other, trying to come up with some sort of explanation. Kaede knew Haku since he was young, so it was a terrible sight to behold for her. Was he a bomb planted in the Chuunin exams? Was there a hidden agenda behind this?

"Intruders!" a Sand Jonin shouted from the audience stand. Figures in dark cloaks stood around the arena. Instantly, the Raikage leapt from his spot and back to the grandstand and immediately began taking down the hooded figures. Sand Jonin had joined in as well and before she knew it, a flaming orange figure swooped past her. It was the Hokage, he was joining in the fight after making sure Hinata and the medics had left the scene.

Gaara used his sand and created a pillar that raised him up to the stands where he stood with his arms folded and used his sand barrage to shoot any figures in the black cloaks. Kaede turned and ushered the rest of the Genin out of the arena. Once the door had closed, she made more hand signs to join in the defense.

Kaede watched as the chaos unfolded above her. There were at least thirty or so figures all in black cloaks that had just appeared out of nowhere. They held small wooden pipes, and they were more concerned with shooting from those pipes than attacking the Kages. Kaede narrowed her eyes as she noticed what they were shooting, and who they were shooting at. The innocent citizens! She saw small red feathers stick out of some civilians as they collapsed.

"Tranquilizer darts?" Kaede whispered to herself.

"Kaede!" She looked up to hear Gaara's voice and at the same time a sharp, stabbing pain erupted from her neck. Almost instantly she felt drowsy, sick, and delusional.

"Gaara," She called out weakly to him as she fell to her knees, before she knew it, her whole body hit the dirt ground.

"I'm sorry…"

* * *

This ought to shake things up a but. :) R&R Please! The more reviews I get the fast I'll update!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime series Naruto, its characters, or any plot or storylines within the Naruto-verse. Kaede (OC) and any non-canon characters within this fiction are owned by me.

Plot: A story of duty, love, and defying the impossible. Kaede Tatsuya enters Suna as a new academy instructor, but what happens when a threat looms over the five nations and she is called away to fight for the Mizukage and a certain Kazekage is reluctant to let her leave? Gaara/OC GaaOC GaaraxOC GaaraOC

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**Chapter 8**

**The Proof**

Pain.

That was the first thing Kaede remembered when she blacked out at the Chuunin exams. As she slowly began to blink, her vision and memory was starting to become clearer and clearer. She remembered every detail at the Chuunin exam, how Haku had turned into a human bomb, when the intruders came and began shooting everyone with the darts, and not to mention the sharp pain in her neck from when she was hit. After that, there was nothing. However, before she closed her eyes she remembered seeing the look of pure panic in Gaara's face.

She let out a small groan as she tried to move her legs, they were stiff and sore. Her whole body ached and her head was throbbing. She slowly began to open her eyes but her entire vision was blurred. All she could see so far was white. Blinking slowly, Kaede's vision eventually came into focus and she could make out individual parts of the room she was in.

The first thing she noticed was the light blue couch on the opposite side of the room with a glass coffee table in front of it. Next, the floor was beige linoleum that contrasted against the white painted walls. Her gaze travelled then to her left where she saw an IV hanging from a thin metal stand, and the cable protruded from it and was underneath the blanket. Lifting the warm, blue blanket slightly, Kaede saw that the IV line was embedded into her skin with a gauze patch covering it. Just these simple observations confirmed that Kaede was in the hospital.

Kaede then began to wonder how long she had been in hospital, and more importantly: what happened once she had blacked out? She moved her elbows underneath her so that she could sit up properly. The bed was already at an angle where her torso was raised, but she just needed to make herself comfortable. Her whole body was stiff, and it was hard just to bend her elbows. After a few moments to allow her stomach and her head to settle, Kaede glanced out the circular window of the hospital. She was still in Suna. She could tell because of the wind and she could make out the tops of a few of Suna's buildings.

So many questions plagued her mind. The two main ones were how did she get to the hospital, and what happened with the rest of the intrusion? She could not have been in any serious danger with the tranquilizer since it seemed to just have a very strong sedative, and all she needed was an IV to keep her hydrated and infection free. However, judging from the stiffness of her body, Kaede guessed she had been out for a few days. It was too calm in the hospital, too quiet.

But man, was she thirsty!

Looking over to her right, there was conveniently enough a water jug and a plastic cup. She let out a sigh of relief and reached over to grab the cup. However, she was just out of arms reach, and even leaning over slightly and tapping the cup caused it to fall on its side and roll off the side table onto the floor with an obnoxious clatter sound. Kaede's brows furrowed. Really? She thought she'd just drink straight from the jug instead, despite how uncouth that might appear to anyone walking in.

Someone did walk in, just as she had brought the side of the jug to her lips.

"Oh, good to see you're awake finally."

Kaede awkwardly looked over to the door to see an unfamiliar woman standing there, her eyes were turquoise and her pink hair was tied up in a bun. She also wore half-rim glasses on the end of her nose, and over her black shorts and red tank top she had a white doctor's coat on. Resting in the center of her forehead was also a pink diamond shape marking, like a tattoo. Kaede watched as the woman walked over to her hospital bed and noticed the cup on the floor. Picking it up, she set it down on the bedside table.

"You've been out for almost three days." The pinkette informed Kaede.

Kaede finished her mouthful of water and wiped her mouth with the back of her arm. She placed the water jug back on the side table where the pinkette poured more water into the cup and handed it to Kaede.

"What happened?"

"Well," the pinkette started, "You were hit with the tranq dart, and I was lucky enough to get a sample to see if there were any poisons or long term effects from it."

There was a short silence. "And?" Kaede urged.

"There was a strong venom-based poison in the dart, highly lethal. I think the attackers were trying to give a message."

"So…" Kaede pushed onwards, "How come I'm not dead from it?"

With a very small smile on her face, Kaede's doctor looked at her straight in the eye.

"Gaara sucked the poison out before it could do any damage."

Kaede's eyes widened when she heard the medic's response. She wasn't entirely sure how to react after hearing that. The first thing that went through her mind was just utter shock that she could have died, that the chuunin exams would have been her final moments. She was taken down so easily, mainly because she wasn't even sure on what was going on. Being in the lower part of the arena, she couldn't exactly see who was where. Before she could even make an assessment she was struck down. For a brief moment, it made her feel weak, unworthy of her chuunin rank.

Then, her mind went to Gaara. Never in her life would she have expected him to do anything to save her. To actually risk his life to make sure she was okay. She can't say that she has received such a sentiment before. It just proved to her that perhaps, there was something there. Perhaps she needed to let her heart do the thinking once in a while, and she should have let that kiss happen. If he could have done anything to prove his affection for her then that was probably it. Kaede brought her hand to her mouth, choking back a few small tears. In turn, the medic sat on the bed next to her and placed a hand on Kaede's shoulder. The medic assumed that the fact she almost died came at a bit of a shock, this was a normal reaction.

"Is Gaara okay?" Kaede asked.

The pinkette smiled, "Yes, he accidentally swallowed a little bit of the poison so he was sick later on, but he's fine now."

"What happened?" Kaede asked, and then she realized that she had already asked that question, so she clarified. "What happened to everyone else, after I blacked out?"

She shook her head, "I'm afraid I'm not entirely up to date with the details, this is something you'll have to ask Gaara or Naruto."

Kaede's curiosity was piqued at the pinkette mentioning the Hokage's name. Why was this medic referring to two Kages by their first name? Perhaps she was a very close friend of theirs? It was normally disrespectful to refer to such high ranking shinobi by their first name, that privilege was reserved for family members and extremely close friends.

"Sorry but," Kaede tried to sound as little rude as she could, "Who are you? I've never seen you in Suna before."

"My name is Sakura," she smiled, "I'm the chief medical ninja of the leaf village."

Kaede nodded slowly, that did explain a lot.

Sakura continued, "They asked me to come here and examine a sample of the poison and help create an antidote. Forgive me, but I took some of your blood to see if there were any effects from a short-term exposure,"

"Well, I can't really complain now." Kaede chuckled.

Sakura echoed the chuckle and then placed a hand on Kaede's forehead.

"I'm going to check your vitals. If all is well you can go home tonight."

Kaede had nurses in and out all afternoon poking and prodding her, checking her reflexes, and taking blood samples. Kaede knew it was for the best, because Sakura simply wanted to make sure there were no traces of poison left in her. After a quick nap and some lunch Kaede's headache had disappeared, and she was even allowed to stretch her legs and walk around her hospital room. She did try and walk out of the room and down the hall to find some sweets, but she was instantly discovered and ushered back into her room and put back to bed.

It was late afternoon, and Kaede was happy to see two familiar faces enter her room.

"Kaede-sensei!" the vibrant ebony haired boy ran from his mother's side and jumped on Kaede's bed, embracing his sensei in an affectionate hug. Following closely behind was his mother, Temari.

"Shikaru really wanted to visit you after Sakura told him you were awake." The older kunoichi said as she sat on the bed next to Kaede.

"Thank you, Lady Temari." Kaede replied to her.

Then, she had a more serious question.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Temari sighed; she knew that question was going to be asked if she took Shikaru to see her. Gaara wanted to keep the events confidential, but since she witnessed a lot of it first hand, it would be cruel to leave her hanging without some sort of closure. By this time, Shikaru had left the two women and was sitting on the couch flicking through a medical book, so Temari felt that she was a little freer to go into the finer details.

"It happened so quickly, the men in black cloaks appeared out of nowhere. It's like they were sitting in the spectator stands the whole time." Temari started, "The Raikage and Hokage were able to fend off most of them, some got away when they discovered it was a failure."

"And Gaara?" Kaede asked urgently. Temari raised a brow when she noticed Kaede called her little brother by his first name. It told her there was something there…

"Once you were hit, Gaara almost lost it. He took his mind off fighting the intruders and focused completely on you. I've never seen him act this way, I've never seen him put one person above his whole village. Luckily he had the two other Kages there to cover him."

That statement made Kaede feel slightly guilty and she lowered her head, and Temari picked up on it.

"No please, that's not what I meant." She reassured the ebony haired girl.

"We were able to capture two of the men, the rest were either killed or got away." Temari continued.

"Where there any other casualties?" Kaede asked.

"No, luckily Sakura came just in time to create an antidote, and we administered it quickly to the few people affected by the poison." Temari replied. A wave of relief swept over Kaede at the blonde's response. She would have felt completely guilty if she had been the only one who survived.

"Do you love my brother?" Temari asked, completely out of the blue.

The statement put Kaede completely off guard, it was such a bold question, and she used such a strong word as well. Did Kaede love Gaara? This question made her stop and think, causing an awkward silence between the two women. Was she really going to confess her affection towards him in front of his sister?

"I…" Kaede stumbled with her words, "I don't know,"

"Decide soon," Temari said sternly as she stood up and ushered Shikaru over to her. "I'm certain that he has affection for you, and this time it won't be another one of his flings. I just don't want my brother hurt."

With that, the blonde kunoichi left with her son, leaving behind a bewildered Kaede.

Once Temari had left Kaede, she continued to spend the rest of her time in the hospital napping and recuperating. It was deep into the night when Sakura came into the room and had Kaede sign the discharge papers. Thanking the pinkette, Kaede had changed into her clean clothes from the chuunin exams (courtesy of the nurses) and headed home. As she walked the street, she couldn't help but feel a little frightened. What if the Kages hadn't gotten rid of all the cloaked men? What if there were some still out there? Slightly shaken, Kaede hurried her pace to her home where she would spend more lonely nights without her father. She wondered briefly if anyone had even updated him on what had happened, perhaps he might come home sooner if he knew there was an impending danger and his daughter was injured.

Kaede sighed with relief as she approached the stairs leading up to her apartment she shared with her father. Although he wasn't home, she still made sure anything of his was clean and tidy, his clothes were neatly put way, and his bed was made. She never really went into his room, only to put clothes away after doing laundry. Boy, she hoped he would come home soon.

Most importantly, she wanted to talk to her father about Gaara.

Kaede shared everything with her dad. She wanted his advice on where to go with her obvious mutual attraction towards the Kazekage. It wasn't as easy as bursting into his office, declaring her undying love, and then he sweeps her off her feet and they live happily ever after. There were rules and protocol, just like every village. She knew from histories that Suna shinobi, particularly higher ranking families, kept the bloodline pure within Suna, no doubt Gaara's family may have that same custom. The lightning country had a strict patriarchal rule, women were not allowed to become the Raikage, but the Raikage can marry their daughters off to their favorite student and then that student had a much better chance of seizing the title.

They were all outdated, ridiculous customs. The mist village was the first to abolish any sort of old-school custom that restricted the freedom and opportunities of their shinobi. This was closely followed by the leaf village. Men and women alike were allowed to qualify for Mizukage (provided their ability was exceptional), and mist shinobi were allowed to be with whomever they pleased.

Kaede mused to herself: star crossed lovers. No doubt if anything did happen between her and Gaara, there would no doubt be a road of obstacles and people trying to tear them up. Maybe it was best if they just remained good friends, it would be selfish of them both to disregard years of tradition.

But then, she wouldn't be very happy. She'd be miserable. So would he. They would both yearn for something they couldn't have. It would be at their fingertips, but the resistance and repercussions would be dire.

Closing the door of her apartment behind her, Kaede dropped into the closest chair at the small round dining table. She placed her head in her hands and stared at the grey surface for a long while. She wasn't tired, but Sakura suggested that she rested as soon as she got home. She wasn't overly hungry either, as she had eaten a meal before she left the hospital. Perhaps a hot shower and a book would calm herself down? At least she could lie in the warmth of her bed.

As she went to stand up from the chair, she heard a small creak.

Whipping her body around to the wooden side table, she slipped her hand inside a pouch and pulled out a small kunai. She knew that she didn't make that creaking noise, there was someone in the house with her, and they were most likely around the corner in the living area. Kaede slowly crept around the corner and what she saw made her drop the kunai.

Gaara.

"It's just me." He said coolly as he was leaning against the wall by the open window. Obviously that was how he came in, since there were small traces of sand that had swept onto the floor and on the windowsill. "Sakura told me you had gone home."

"You could have used the door." Kaede placed a hand over her chest, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

He smirked, "Too conventional."

Kaede reciprocated the smirk.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him inquisitively.

"I had to see for myself that you were alright." He replied as he pushed himself off the wall and walked towards her. He lifted his hand up to her cheek; it was warm, but calloused. Years of fighting reflected in his hands. He tilted her head to the side gently, and he saw the bruise on her neck as well as the small cut from where the dart had hit her.

"Sakura told me what you did." Kaede said, "You saved my life."

Gaara pressed his lips together and sighed, "I didn't want to lose you."

Kaede reached her hand up to his and removed it from her cheek. She used both of her hands and held his between them. Her grip was tight, sincere. Her crystal blue orbs gazed into his for a long while, he was about to speak but she beat him to it.

"I shouldn't have run off that day… in your office." She said with a small smile creeping onto her face.

That statement made Gaara frown in guilt, "No, that was my fault I shouldn't have…"

His words were cut short, because Kaede had interrupted him. Not with words or any kind of noise. Instead, it was with a long overdue kiss. She quickly closed the gap between them and she leaned up on her toes towards Gaara. In an instant, her lips connected with his in a delicate kiss. Despite his calloused hands, his lips were incredibly soft in contrast.

Gaara was caught completely off guard, and when he felt his lips connect with Kaede's there was an explosion of warmth coming from the center of his chest. There was also a sense of relief, because her kiss told him that her feelings were reciprocated. He closed his eyes slowly and let go of her hand to bring his own up to the back of her head, tangling his fingers through her soft, ebony locks. In turn, she had brought both of her arms up to his chest and held herself there, enjoying every moment of their sweet show of affection for each other.

Eventually, Kaede broke their kiss but instead of pulling away, Gaara leaned his head down and pressed his forehead against Kaede's. Then, he went back in for more, giving her soft, smaller kisses on her lips. They were sweet, they tasted like raspberries. No doubt she had eaten some sort of confectionary before their little interaction. Whatever it was, he couldn't get enough of. Kaede eventually had to break their kiss so they could both take a moment to catch their breath, but they continued to embrace each other and gaze deeply into each other's eyes. A small blush had appeared on Kaede's cheeks, she had never kissed anyone so passionately before. She felt every fiber of his emotion was poured into that kiss, and everything felt… right.

"I think," Gaara took one of her hands and pressed it against his cheek, "I think I'm in love with you, Kaede."

Then, Kaede took her hand away from his cheek, reached down, and popped the top buckle of his maroon overcoat. He wasn't expecting that.

"Then show me," she whispered before leaning up to capture his lips in another wave of passion.

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R&R Please!

((Author Note: I am not sure if I want the next chapter to be a Lemon. I was going to make the next chapter strictly a Lemon so that no plot points are missed, and readers can choose to skip such detail and go straight to Chapter 10 if they wanted to. Please tell me what you think?))


	9. Chapter 9 (Lemon)

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime series Naruto, its characters, or any plot or storylines within the Naruto-verse. Kaede (OC) and any non-canon characters within this fiction are owned by me.

Plot: A story of duty, love, and defying the impossible. Kaede Tatsuya enters Suna as a new academy instructor, but what happens when a threat looms over the five nations and she is called away to fight for the Mizukage and a certain Kazekage is reluctant to let her leave? Gaara/OC GaaOC GaaraxOC GaaraOC

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**Chapter 9**

**Consummation**

**((Author Note: This chapter is purely a Lemon, hence why it is shorter than the other chapters. There are no important plot developments in this chapter so readers may choose to skip it if they wish. It is going to be mostly action instead of thoughts and speech, only because I do not want any readers to miss out on any character development if they choose to skip this chapter. Due to the Lemon, I have changed the rating to M.)) **

Gaara instantly knew where Kaede was heading when she popped the top buckle of his overcoat. It was an incredibly bold move on her part, one he wished that she would take the time to reconsider. However, that look in her eye, it was sincere, so genuine, that perhaps she had thought about it. Hell, Gaara was happy to just stick to kissing until they were both ready, but Kaede seemed to be so sure in her feelings towards him, that she was willing to take it three steps further.

Gaara being a man, he wasn't really going to complain.

He leaned forward and captured her lips in another kiss as he allowed her to unbuckle the rest of his overcoat. Being a cool night and no sign of danger, he wasn't wearing his grey vest nor did he have his gourd with him. He was only planning a casual, short visit to make sure Kaede was alright.

However, he wasn't expecting the short visit to turn into this.

Discarding his coat on the floor, he gripped Kaede by her shoulders and pushed her against the wall. In turn, her arms snaked around his neck and her fingers laced through his thick red hair as they continued their passionate kiss, tongues fighting each other for dominance. Gaara broke their kiss and trailed his way down her jaw and to her neck where Kaede lifted her chin to give him better access. However, he made sure to be gentle around her bruised wound.

Moving his right hand from her shoulder, Gaara snaked his hand down to the hem of her moss green jumper and guided his hand underneath, and also underneath her tank top, to feel the soft, delicate skin of her stomach. From there, his hand moved up further and found the soft fabric of her bra. He cupped her humble breast through her bra, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Kaede ceased all action for that moment, and Gaara looked at her, uncertainty in his eyes. She gripped his left hand as he pulled his right hand away from her and moved it up to caress her cheek.

"Come on," She whispered to him.

She led him around the corner and past the dining area, into her bedroom.

Her bedroom.

She thought they'd be a little more comfortable in there, performing what they were about to do in a conventional location. She pushed Gaara down gently, so that he was sitting on the edge of her bed and she stepped back from him. With a small blush across her cheeks, she gripped the hem of her green jacket and her white tank top and pulled them over her head and discarded them onto the floor. Kaede stood there in only her black shorts and a simple white T-shirt bra.

Gaara examined her body closely, she was thin with a small frame, but she had an hourglass figure that showed off her wide hips. He always believed that under there was a skinny little woman, but she actually had a small amount of body fat to give her the womanly curves that Gaara liked. In turn, he lifted his arms to reach the collar of his shirt, and he pulled his shirt over his head to reveal his taut torso. Sure, he was pale, but well-toned. His body showed some scars from years of shinobi combat. One in particular that stood out was the scar on his shoulder from when he was struck by the Artisan shinobi while rescuing Matsuri.

Gaara sent Kaede a small smirk as she looked him over. By this time, her dark hair was also out and loose and her blush stood out against her pale skin. It was adorable. He knew she was ready, but he detected a large amount of nervousness. He reached his hand out to her while looking in her eyes, turquoise met cerulean and she watched his gesture. He was asking her permission for her trust.

She reached her own hand out to his, and gripped it gingerly. Gaara then gripped her hand and gently pulled her into him. He went further and lay back on her double bed, allowing her to move herself on top of him, straddling his waist. He was hungry for her, but he wanted to go only as fast as she did. Perhaps she would be more comfortable and being in control and on top.

Grinning shyly, Kaede leaned in and let more kissing ensue. She ran her hands of his shoulders and chest, taking in the detail of every scar and every toned muscle. He shivered under her touch; there was something about just her simple touch that sent him wild. He reached his hands down and in another bold move, unbuckled her shorts and pulled them down where she then kicked them off onto the floor right next to her jacket. She wore simple white panties as well, already glistening with moisture from her sweet spot.

No words needed to be spoken between them, because they were able to read each other's body language and emotions through the eyes and their actions. She knew Gaara was ready, and it only made butterflies swarm in her belly. However, she couldn't ignore the familiar heat in her sweet spot, begging to be quenched. Despite being a virgin, she was familiar with her body and knew when she was aroused. She had experienced it before when around Gaara; the exact moment when it happened though, was a secret.

By this time, they had moved further up the bed and rested side by side on the pillows. Kaede lay on her back, caressing Gaara's hair while he propped himself up on his arms to be on top of her. He didn't keep his eyes off hers as his hand moved down her stomach to her lower region. Sensing no resistance, he slipped his fingers underneath her panties and trailed them down to her nether region where he gently began to massage her small, round bud.

Kaede sighed in pleasure and shuddered underneath him, his warm fingers felt good against her sweet spot after a few moments, he then daringly let his fingers creep lower and he gently inserted a digit into her sweet spot. Kaede raised her leg and parted her thighs to give him better access, and she couldn't help but let out another whimper in pleasure. She looked into his eyes again; her cheeks flushed red from excitement. He leaned in and kissed her again as he carefully inserted another digit and toyed with her sweet spot for a short while. This was only to give her a small stretch and give her a taste for what was to come.

Removing his fingers, she quickly moved her hands down and pulled her panties off her, leaving her lower area completely exposed to him. She then reached behind her and unclasped her bra. She then removed it and threw it on the floor as well. Now, she was totally nude underneath him. Instinctively, Gaara lowered his gaze to her soft, plump breasts where he trailed small kisses from her shoulder to the peak of her left breast where his tongue encircled around her nipple, he heard a small giggle, it must have tickled her, and Gaara grinned as he brought his face up to hers and captured her lips in another kiss.

Gaara then leaned up onto his knees and unbuckled his pants. He pulled the clean off with his boxers as well, leaving him also completely nude on top of her. Anther blush, she averted her gaze for the first few moments before finally taking a small peek at his manhood. It was standing it attention, ready. She immediately averted her gaze back to his eyes and she smiled nervously. She reached her hands out to him and pulled him in for another reassuring kiss.

Although, he had to be sure, "Ready?" he whispered in her hear after kissing her lobe.

"Yes," She said smoothly, confidently.

Kaede parted her legs for him, and in turn he positioned himself between her thighs. She then brought her knees up, giving him full access and he placed himself at her entrance.

Then, slowly, he entered her.

He watched as her face twisted with the pain from being stretched. He had a thought to stop, but it would only delay the inevitable. He encountered her maidenhead, and with a firm thrust, he broke through and dug himself deep inside her. He thought himself to be a gentle lover, but something like this he wanted to get out of the way. He knew from experience that the slower he went, the more it would hurt her.

Yes, it hurt, but not as much as Kaede thought it would. She felt a slight pressure, and then a sharp sting as she felt the skin of her maidenhead break. She knew this would happen; she wasn't completely oblivious to the mechanics of sex.

She squeezed his shoulders reassuringly, and he took that as a sign to continue. Slowly but steadily, he created a gentle pace with his strokes. He leaned in again for a kiss, and as he built the momentum, he could hear her moan underneath him. She must have been really sensitive and ready if she was gaining this much pleasure so early. He could feel the white hot pleasure burning deep inside his belly as he continued thrusting. Reaching down with his right hand, he caressed her thigh and then lifted her leg up so that he had more access and could go deeper into her.

Kaede felt it; she felt the pleasure spread from her belly all the way to her fingers and toes. More importantly, she could feel a pressure build inside her; it was a heat gathering inside her core as she wrapped her arms around his neck, embracing him during their union.

The heat continued, it rose, and rose, until finally it exploded into a white tingling sensation that ripped throughout her body. She could feel her nether region throb from pleasure as he continued to thrust into her, achieving his own climax.

His words filled her ears, "I'm close," he whispered, "but I need to pull out."

Kaede opened her eyes at this. Yes, he did. In the heat of the moment, neither of them had thought about protection. Neither of them wanted a babe to result from this night of passion, and so to avoid this he couldn't let himself climax inside her. She felt all momentum cease as he swiftly pulled himself out of her just as he climaxed. He propped his manhood on her stomach where small amounts of seed spurt forth and landed on her stomach. Kaede didn't care, it was better than inside her after all.

Instantly, Gaara was relieved to spot tissues on the bedside table, and he quickly wiped away his unsightly mess on her stomach. Placing the scrunched up tissues on the bedside table, he then collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily. He had forgotten how tight a virgin was, and her moist walls had felt good against his manhood.

Kaede only stared at the ceiling in bewilderment as she felt Gaara move from on top of her and then slid next to her. She shifted her gaze over to him and rolled onto her side. They lay naked in the bed together, just basking in each other's warm presence and she brought her hands up to hold Gaara's.

"I love you too," she said as she kissed his fingers.

"Do you want me to stay?" He asked her.

Kaede only nodded in response.

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R&R Please!


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